LI  5  R.ARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 
OF    ILLINOIS 


1.1  li  F. : 

civr^iTY  nr  ii. 


FROM     THE 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  FIRST  REGIMENT, 

IN  SEPTEMBER,  1874, 


ENACTMENT  OF  THE  MILITARY  CODE, 

IN  MAY,  1879. 


By 

HOLDRIDGE  O.  COLLINS, 
Late  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Assistant  Adjutant-Genera!. 


Et  quorum  pars  parva  fui." 


CHICAGO: 

PRESS  OF  BLACK  &  BEACH,   170  S.  CLARK  ST. 
1884. 


iflos'tra  Cucbtmur  Epsi. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


n 

0 


J 


"re 


faee. 


"  Little  shall  I  grace  my  cause 

In  speaking  for  myself.     Yet,  by  your  gracious  patience, 
1  will  a  round  un varnish 'd  tale  deliver." 


HE  Organization  of  the  Illinois  National 
Guard,  in  1875,  was  tne  result  of  a  long- 
growing  conviction  that  the  State  must  have 
a  Militia,  well  trained  and  equipped,  which 
could  be  relied  upon  with  confidence  in  emer- 
gencies. 

The  necessity  for  such  a  force  was  more 

•/ 

apparent  in  the  large  cities  and  populous 
communities,  where  the  civil  authorities  needed  a  power- 
ful aid  to  check  lawlessness  and  disorder. 

The  reaction  in  regard  to  Military  matters  after  the 
war,  had  caused  an  almost  total  neglect  of  the  Militia  in 
Illinois;  but  the  occasional  rumblings  of  a  disturbing 
element  had  been  heard  in  various  localities,  more  espe- 
cially in  Chicago,  and  the  citizens  of  this  city  were 
finally  aroused  to  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  it  was 


4  HISTORY  OF   THE 

entirely  without  any  safeguards,  other  than  the  police 
force,  and  that  a  general  riot  would  throw  the  entire 
community  into  the  hands  of  the  lawless. 

In  1874,  by  the  aid  of  individual  subscriptions,  six 
companies  of  volunteers  were  enlisted,  uniformed,  armed 
and  commissioned  as  the  First  Regiment.  This  was  the 
nucleus  of  the  large  force  organized  into  a  Brigade  in  1875 
and  1876,  that  gave  the  State,  almost  at  a  bound,  a 
Military  Service  which  compared  favorably  with  the 
Militia  of  the  Sister  States. 

An  attempt  has  been  made  in  the  following  pages  to 
give  an  account  of  this  movement,  and  the  legislation 
growing  out  of  it. 

Perhaps  the  story  of  the  First  Regiment  has  been 
dwelt  upon  longer  than  necessary,  but  the  great  influ- 
ence exercised  by  its  officers  and  men  in  hastening  the 
consolidation  of  Regiments  and  Battalions  throughout  the 
State,  and  the  pride  of  the  writer,  as  one  of  the  earliest 
members  of  that  body,  in  its  present  standing,  the  First 
in  discipline  and  drill  as  well  as  in  name,  may  excuse 
what  otherwise  might  have  been  an  uninteresting  state- 
ment of  trivial  particulars. 

The  author  may  be  pardoned  in  speaking  of  himself 
sufficiently  to  show  the  sources  of  his  information  in  the 
compilation  of  the  following  pages. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  National  Guard,  with  the 
exception  of  three  months  in  the  Spring  of  1875,  from 
the  formation  of  the  First  Regiment,  in  September,  1874, 
until  June,  1879,  the  period  covered  by  this  book.  Dur- 
ing that  time,  he  held  all  the  ranks,  from  private  to 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  in  the  First  Regiment,  and  on  the 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL    GUARD.  5 

Brigade  and  Division  Staff.  As  Assistant  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral of  the  Brigade  and  Division,  the  entire  official 
correspondence  passed  through  his  hands,  and  the  orig- 
inal of  all  letters  received,  and  copies  of  all  orders 
and  communications  transmitted,  were  carefully  pre- 
served. The  statements  made  herein  are  from  the 
records,  and,  it  is  confidently  believed,  in  accordance 
with  the  facts. 

It  was  the  intention  originally  to  refer  but  very  briefly  to 
the  enactment  of  the  peculiar  law  of  1879,  but  smce  these 
pages  were  commenced,  gentlemen,  prominent  in  the 
Militia,  have  thought  that  the  interests  of  the  service,  as 
well  as  justice  to  all  who  were  defeated  in  their  attempts 
to  secure  a  good  law  by  the  Thirty-first  General  Assem- 
bly, required  the  story.  The  writer  has  made  no  alle- 
gations for  which  he  is  not  responsible.  He  has  over- 
drawn nothing,  "  nor  set  down  aught  in  malice."  On 
the  contrary,  should  the  accuracy  of  that  narrative  be 
questioned,  records,  documents  and  letters  can  be  pro- 
duced show  ing  that  the  half  has  not  been  told. 

Bearing  in  mind  Solomon's  statement,  "  of  making- 
many  books  there  is  no  end,"  and  Job's  warning,  "  Oh ! 
that  mine  adversary  had  written  a  book,"  the  author 
hopes  that  this  history  may  prove  of  some  interest  to  the 
many  gentlemen  with  whom  he  enjoyed  four  years  of 
pleasant  Militarv  association. 

HOLDRIDGE  O.  COLLINS. 
CHICAGO,  February  22,  1884. 


HISTORY  OF   THE 


I. 


Tl?,e  Organization,  of  tl?,e  First   Regiment. 


SHE  First  meeting  to  effect  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  Regiment  of  Militia  was  held  in 
Chicago,  at  the  Grand  Pacific  Hotel  on  Au- 
gust 28,  1874.  Subsequent  meetings  were 
»°  had  in  the  early  part  of  September,  at  the 
Sherman  House  and  the  Tremont  House, 
and  there  being  an  unanimous  feeling  for 
immediate  action,  a  general  outline  of  the  mode  of  pro- 
cedure was  speedily  agreed  upon,  the  minordetails  being 
left  for  future  consideration. 

Guerdon  S.  Hubbard,  Jr.,  very  generously  offered  his 
building,  Nos.  79  and  81  State  street,  without  compen- 
sation, for  the  use  of  the  Regiment,  until  definite  arrange- 
ments could  be  made  for  an  Armory,  and  the  next 
meeting  was  held  at  that  place,  on  September  8,  where 
Companies  A,  B  and  C  were  enrolled. 

The  following  was  their  respective  membership: 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARD.  7 

COMPANY  A. 

Captain,  Graeme  Stewart. 

First  Lieutenant,  -                                          Julius  G.  Goodrich. 

Second  Lieutenant,        -  Charles  S.  Diehl. 

First  Sergeant,  R.  W.  Rathborne. 

Second  Sergeant,  N.  N.  Goodrich. 

Third  Sergeant,  -                                                    George  Miles. 

Fourth  Sergeant,  -       John  McArthur,  Jr. 

PRIVATES. 

A.  W.  Merriam,  J.  C.  King,  E.  R.  Richards,  John  M. 
Dandy,  Charles  H.  Smith,  Chas.  Jernegan,  Chas.  Rand,  A. 
Bushey,  E.  R.  Chumasero,  H.  F.  Boynton,  Saml.  Brown,  W.  S. 
Carpenter,  C.  M.  Bickford,  Geo.  M.  Hough,  J.  W.  Street,  C. 
Barry,  E.  W.  Westfall,  E.  Mead,  G.  P.  Bartalott,  Geo.  Cane, 
L.  F.  Wade,  F.  Dodge,  C.  H.  Besley,  C.  S.  Wells,  E.  S.  Magill, 
W.  G.  Sherer,  John  Vaughn,  C.  Pettet,  John  S.  Clark,  D. 
Smith,  M.  A.  Farr,  W.  W.  Powell,  O.  Huyck,  G.  H.  Corn  el  es, 
A.  L.  Chatterton,  H.  Brainerd,  A.  J.  Hugeman,  O.  H.  Secrest, 
F.  Larger,  C.  McArthur,  P.  R.  Woodford,  Will.  Chambers. 
Will.  Creighton. 

COMPANY  H. 

Captain,  Edwin  B.   Knox. 

First  Lieutenant,     -  W.  W.  Bishop. 

Second  Lieutenant,       -  Arthur  J.  Howe. 

PRIVATES. 

John  Brine,  \V.  H.  Brine,  W.  H.  Lrne,  W.  D.  Gregory,  S 
C.  Goodyear,  W.  H.  Baldwin,  C.  N.  Bishop,  F.  E.  Fenderson, 
C.  W.  Butler,  F.  K.  Morrell,  E.  Archibald,  Miles  Burnam,  E. 
E.  Russell,  Frank  Reed,  Saml.  Sheahan,  Henry  S.  Howler, 
Charles  W.  Cutting,  F.  C.  Lovejoy,  Will.  Rathbone,  E.  Durand, 
W.  L.  Prettyman,  Charles  E.  Case,  E  W  Thomas,  1).  J.  Foley, 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Rodney  Granger,  C.  W.  Parker,  S.  W.  Stryker,  J.  E.  Much- 
more,  Jr.,  S.  P.  Anderson,  G.  H.  Stevens,  J.  Dermott,  W. 
Booth,  S.  Smith,  C.  W.  Hornick,  J.  T.  Hoyne,  F.  Guth,  George 
Dickson,  George  Coombs,  F.  H.  Sharp,  O.  H.  Beedy,  D.  J. 
Kennedy,  C.  D.  Thompson,  C.  S.  Dunk. 

COMPANY  C. 

Captain,  Mason  B.  Carpenter. 

First  Lieutenant,     -  Irving  R.    Fisher. 

Second  Lieutenant,       -  Noble  B.  Judah. 

First  Sergeant,  John  D.  Bangs. 

Second  Sergeant,  Holdridge  ().  Collins. 

PRIVATES. 

J.  Y.  Oliver,  J.  W.  Johnson,  George  A.  Gibbs,  C.  H.  Hub- 
bard,  Henry  J.  Peet,  Henry  W.  Seman,  A.  W.  Brickwood,  B. 
M.  Saunders,  W.  P.  Conger,  W.  D.  McCool,  C.  F.  Hamilton, 
J.  C.  Clark,  Francis  O.  Lyman,  Azel  F.  Hatch,  Harry  C.  Gorin, 
Saml.  F.  McConnell,  Leonard  Boyce,  Edwin  O.  Brown,  W.  L. 
Johnson,  B.  W.  Dodson,  N.  B.  Brant,  D.  W.  Graves,  E.  Hanecy, 
W.  E.  Mason,  W.  E.  Cooke,  J.  H.  Shields,  Warren  L.  Ayers, 
George  Hough,  H.  R.  Vanderwont,  Josiah  Johnson,  Frank  G. 
Hoyne,  H.  S.  Freeman,  J.  H.  Starkweather,  Fred.  S.  Wheaton, 
G.  E.  Pomeroy,  A.  O.  Lindsley,  C.  H.  Hill,  E.  W.  Jamar,  F. 
W.  Sanger,  Wm.  Schatz,  W.  H.  Peek,  J.  W.  Montgomery,  Fred. 
Mills,  J.  W.  Hawley,  P.  Cook,  George  Cook,  O.  O.  Hall,  C.  V. 
Coon. 

These  three  Companies  reporting  at  the  same  meet- 
ing, the  rank  of  their  Captains  was  decided  by  lot.  Cap- 
tain Stewart  winning  the  right  of  the  line,  Captain  Knox 
the  left  and  Captain  Carpenter  the  colors. 

On  September  I4th,  Company  D  was  received  into 
the  Regiment.  It  was  composed  of  the  following  gen- 
tlemen : 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  9 

Captain,  John  W.  Hawley. 

First  Lieutenant,  Wm.  Dickinson. 

Second  Lieutenant,  C.  H.  Spellman. 

PRIVATES. 

Parsons  Cooke,  C.  C.  Chase,  Frank  Ray,  J.  W.  Dickinson, 
Charles  Mathas,  W.  Garnet,  John  Woodb ridge,  Jr.,  J.  H.  Elliott, 
Charles  D.  Blaney,  George  Corwith,  Philip  Larrabee,  E.  J. 
Webster,  Wm.  Burrell,  J.  Richards,  H.  Carter  H.  Spellman, 
Richard  Holmes,  John  Wilson,  R.  Hobson,  W.  G.  Tucker, 
Herbert  Dennington,  F.  Marshall,  Charles  Stewart,  L.  Williams, 
E.  Tehle,  J.  R.  Blaney. 

The  necessity  for  a  Field  officer  being  apparent,  by 
the  unanimous  voice  of  the  entire  command,  Gen.  Frank 
T.  Sherman  was  elected  Major  of  the  Battalion. 

The  enthusiasm  with  which  these  four  companies  had 
been  enlisted,  and  the  material  assistance  promised  by 
the  Governor  of  the  State  and  many  liberal  citizens  of 
Chicago,  indicated  the  permanent  success  of  this  move- 
ment, and  several  independent  Militia  companies  in  Chi- 
cago made  application  to  be  received  into  the  Regiment. 

As  their  tenders  of  service  were  accompanied,  how- 
ever, with  the  demands  that  they  be  accepted  with  their 
individual  uniform,  and  take  rank  in  the  Regiment  ac- 
cording to  the  date  of  their  Captains'  commissions,  etc., 
etc.,  it  was  not  thought  expedient  to  receive  any  old 
commissioned  company,  and  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions  were  adopted. 

"  WHEREAS,  It  is  desirous  that  the  Regiment  be  filled  with 
ten  acceptable  Companies ;  Therefore,  be  it 

"  Resolved,  ist,  That  no  company  of  men  shall  be  admitted 
to  this  Regimental  organization,  unless  the  company  or  body  of 
men  shall  be  recruited  by  recruiting  officers  regularly  appointed 


io  HISTORY  OF  THE 

by  the  Battalion  Commander;  2d,  That  recruiting  officers  be 
appointed  by  the  Battalion  Commander,  to  recruit  the  remain- 
ing companies  to  complete  the  Regiment." 

In  accordance  with  the  foregoing,  Messrs.  C.  A. 
Bishop,  A.  W.  Merriam  and  Holdridge  O.  Collins  were 
appointed  recruiting  officers. 

The  uncertainty  and  confusion  arising  from  the 
attempt  to  arrange  the  minute  affairs  of  the  organization 
in  "  committee  of  the  whole,"  showed  the  necessity  for 
standing  and  special  Committees,  and  the  following  were 
elected: 

Order  of  Business — Capt.  M.  B.  Carpenter,  Lieut.  I.  R" 
Fisher,  Fred.  K.  Morrill,  S.  P.  Anderson,  F.  B.  Reed. 

Ways  and  Means — Capt.  Graeme  Stewart,  Capt.  E.  B.  Knox, 
H.  J.  Goodrich,  U.  J.  Kennedy,  Capt.  M.  B.  Carpenter. 

Rides  of  Order — J.  H.  Haynie,  Capt.  John  W.  Hawley,  W. 
I).  Gregory,  W.  H.  Lane,  Sergeant  Holdridge  O.  Collins. 

At  a  business  meeting,  held  Monday  evening,  Octo- 
ber 5th,  and  presided  over  by  Major  Sherman,  two  new 
companies,  E,  with  43  men,  and  F,  with  41  men,  were 
presented  by  regularly  appointed  recruiting  officers,  and 
received  into  the  Regiment. 

Their  officers  were  as  follows: 

COMPANY  E. 

Captain,  Holdridge  O.  Collins. 

First  Lieutenant,  Samuel  Appleton. 

Second          "  Gilbert  M.  Holmes. 

COMPANY  F. 

Captain,  William  Black. 

First  Lieutenant,  Wm.  P.  Gunthorp. 

Second  H.  F.  Boynton. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  n 

By  the  organization  of  the  last  two  companies,  the 
Battalion  became  entitled  to  a  Lieutenant  Colonel,  and 
Major  Sherman  was  promoted  to  that  office  without  a 
dissenting  voice;  Guerdon  S.  Hubbard,  Jr.,  was  elected 
to  the  vacant  Majority.  Lieut.  Chas.  S.  Diehl  was 
detailed  as  Adjutant,  and  he  rilled  this  position  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  entire  command  until  the  Staff  was  com- 
pleted by  regular  appointments.  No  member  of  the 
Regiment  worked  harder  for  its  success  than  Lieut. 
Diehl.  Identified  with  it  from  its  inception,  he  enlisted 
as  a  private,  and  was  elected  from  the  ranks  Second 
Lieutenant,  upon  the  organization  of  Company  A.  He 
devoted  much  time  and  severe  labor  in  the  early  days, 
and  by  his  personal  exertions  he  raised  many  hundreds 
of  dollars  to  equip  the  Regiment  and  place  it  on  an  inde- 
pendent basis.  He  remained  with  the  command  up  to 
1883,  when  he  resigned  as  Lieutenant  Colonel,  having 
been  promoted  to  that  rank  through  all  the  lower 
grades. 

The  first  Staff  of  the  Regiment  appointed  by  Col. 
Sherman  was  composed  of  the  following  gentlemen: 

Adjutant,  First  Lieutenant  James  H.  Haynie. 

Quartermaster,  First  Lieutenant  Charles  H.  Gillespie. 

Surgeon,  -     Major  Ben,  C.  Miller,  M.  D. 

First  Assistant  Surgeon,         -        Captain  Henry  Hooper,  M.  D. 
Second      "  First  Lieutenant  E.  W.  Sawyer,  M.  D. 

Chaplain,  Captain  David  Swing. 

The  six  companies  immediately  commenced  drilling, 
and  the  large  attendance  and  prompt  obedience  to  their 
instructors  soon  brought  about  a  more  Military  aspect  of 
affairs  and  a  regular  system  of  discipline. 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE 

It  was  not  contemplated  in  the  beginning  of  this 
movement  that  members  should  pay  the  cost  of  their 
uniform  and  equipments.  In  the  absence  of  any  law  by 
which  funds  could  be  drawn  from  the  State  Treasury, 
assurances  had  been  given  that  a  sufficient  amount  of 
money  could  be  raised  from  the  citizens  of  Chicago,  by 
voluntary  subscription,  to  uniform  the  Regiment  and  pav 
a  portion  of  its  current  expenses.  It  now  became  neces- 
sary to  call  upon  the  City  to  do  its  share  of  the  work. 

The  officers  of  the  Citizens'  Association  of  Chicago  were 
requested  to  inspect  the  Battalion  and  present  its  neces- 
sities to  the  public  in  an  authorized  form. 

On  October  26th,  Gen.  A.  L.  Chetlain,  Gen.  A.  C. 
McClurg  and  Mr.  J.  C.  Ambler,  a  committee  from  the 
Citizens'  Association,  reviewed  the  Regiment  and  en- 
quired into  its  wants.  Their  report  to  the  Association 
was  voluminous  and  highly  laudatory  and  concluded  as 
follows : 

"  From  our  observation  and  inspection,  and  from  what  we 
can  gather  in  reply  to  our  enquiries,  we  do  not  hesitate  to 
report  that  the  material  composing  the  First  Regiment  Illinois 
State  Guard,  is  excellent,  both  physically  and  morally,  in  the 
military  acceptation  of  that  word,  and  that  there  is  an  evidence 
of  quiet,  determined  ambition  to  excel  as  citizen  soldiers,  of 
willingness  to  undergo  the  ordeals  of  drill  and  discipline,  that 
cannot  fail, if  proper  encouragement  be  given  them,  to  make  them 
into  a  good  and  serviceable  Regiment,  worthy  of  the  sympathy 
and  support  of  our  citizens,  and  we  cordially  recommend  them 
to  your  favorable  consideration  and  that  of  the  Community  at 
large." 

Upon  the  request  of  the  Regiment,  the  Citizens'  Asso- 
ciation appointed  an  Auditing  Committee  or  Board,  for 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD. 


Xhe  "  equipment  fund  "  of  the  Regiment,  composed  of 
Gen.  A.  L.  Chetlain,  Walter  Kimball,  C.  B.  Nelson,  Gen. 
A.  C.  McClurg  and  R.  P.  Derrickson,  gentlemen  well 
known  by  the  community,  and  whose  names  were  a 
•guaranty  that  the  money  of  the  Regiment  would  be  prop- 
erly expended. 

The  Regiment  thereupon  appointed  a  committee  of 
eighteen  to  solicit  subscriptions.  Said  committee  was 
composed  of  the  officers  of  the  six  companies,  viz: 


•Graeme  Stewart, 
J.  G.  Goodrich,      - 
€has.  S.  Diehl, 
Edwin  B.  Knox,    - 
W.  W.  Bishop, 
Arthur  J.  Howe, 
Mason  B.  Carpenter,  - 
Irving  R.  Fisher,    - 
John  D.  Bangs, 
John  W.  Hawley,  - 
J.  W.  Dickinson, 
Walter  G.  Goodrich, 
Holdridge  O.  Collins, 
Samuel  Appleton,  - 
Geo.  McDonald, 
William  Black, 
W.  P.  Gunthorp, 
H.  F.  Boynton, 


Captain  Company  A. 

First   Lieutenant  Company  A. 

Second    Lieutenant  Company  A, 

Captain  Company  B. 

First  Lieutenant  Company  B. 

Second    Lieutenant  Company   B. 

Captain  Company  C. 

First  Lieutenant  Company  C. 

Second   Lieutenant  Company    C, 

Captain  Company  D. 

First  Lieutenant  Company  D. 

Second   Lieutenant  Company  D> 

Captain  Company  E. 

First  Lieutenant  Company  E. 

Second    Lieutenant  Company    E, 

Captain  Company  F. 

First  Lieutenant  Company  F. 


Second  Lieutenant  Company  F. 
Under  the  direction  and  supervision  of  this  committee 
of  officers,  the  entire  Regiment  was  divided  into  squads 
of  zealous  canvassers,  and  armed  witk  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Citizens'  Association  and  their  blank  subscrip- 
tion list,  they  commenced  their  labors. 


t4  HISTORY  OF  THE 

These  proceedings  had  fully  prepared  the  public  for 
the  attack  upon  its  purse,  and  all  classes  of  citizens 
responded  liberally  to  the  call,  from  Geo.  M.  Pullman 
who  started  the  list  with  $500,  followed  by  twenty-two 
gentlemen,  each  of  whom  subscribed  $100,  down  to  the 
"  Connecticut  pie  man  "  with  his  no  less  generous  dona- 
tion of  five  dollars.  The  labor  of  canvassing  so  large  a 
city  and  visiting  all  of  the  more  prominent  citizens  was 
great,  and  consumed  much  time,  and  taxed  to  the  utmost 
the  energies  and  patience  of  those  who  had  the  matter  in 
charge.  It  would  perhaps  be  invidious  to  make  any 
comparisons  where  all  did  so  well,  but  the  success  accom- 
panying the  unusual  exertions  of  Captain  Stewart  and 
Lieut.  Diehl  of  Company  A,  Captain  Knox  of  Company 
B,  Captain  Carpenter  and  Lieut.  Bangs  of  Company  C, 
Captain  Black  of  Company  F,  and  Color  Sergeant  Bell 
of  Company  E,  deserves  especial  recognition.  A  suffi- 
cient fund  was  raised  by  this  personal  solicitation  of  mem- 
bers of  the  Regiment  to  warrant  the  renting  of  a  perma- 
nent Armory  and  to  purchase  the  uniform. 

Commodious  quarters  at  No.  112  Lake  street  were 
selected  and  the  Regiment  entered  into  possession  and  com- 
menced an  earnest  and  severe  course  of  drill  and  instruc- 
tion. The  gray  uniform  of  the  First  Regiment  Infantry 
of  the  Connecticut  National  Guard  was  adopted,  and 
Messrs.  Stryker  &  Co.  of  New  York  City,  contracted  to 
deliver  the  entire  outfit  by  May,  1875. 

Article  IV  of  the  Code  of  "  Rules  and  Regulations 
of  the  First  Regiment  Illinois  State  Guard,"  adopted 
September  21,  1874,  provided  as  follows: 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD. 


"  ELECTIONS. 

"  All  elections  for  field  and  line  officers  shall  be  by  ballot, 
and  shall  take  place  annually,  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  Decem- 
ber." 

Pursuant  to  the  foregoing,  on  December  i,  1874,  *ne 
regular  annual  meeting  was  held,  and  officers  for  the  en- 
suing year  were  elected.  Gen.  Sherman  declined  a  re- 
election, as  he  was  unable  to  devote  the  attention  to  the 
Regiment  necessarily  required  by  its  Commander. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  chosen: 


Lieutenant  Colonel, 
Major, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second 


Alexander  C.  McClurg. 
Guerdon  S.  Hubbard,  Jr. 


COMPANY    A. 


COMPANY    B. 


COMPANY  C. 


COMPANY  D. 


A.  M.  Ferris. 
Chas.  Jernegan. 
Chas.  S.  Diehl. 


Edwin  B.  Knox. 

W.  W.  Bishop. 

Henry  S.  Bowler. 


Mason  B.  Carpenter. 

Frank  B.  Davis. 

John  D.  Bangs. 


John  VV.  Hawley. 

Wm.   Dickinson. 

F.   P.   Dix. 


1 6  HISTORY  OP  THE 

COMPANY  E. 

Captain,  Holdridge  O.  CoHins-.- 

First  Lieutenant,.      -  Samuel  Appleton . 

Second  Gilbert  M ,  Holmes , 

COMPANY   F. 

Captain ,  William  Black. 

First  Lieutenant,  -      .          Robert  B.  Lewis. 

Second  Wm.  P.  Gunthorp. 

At  this  meeting1  a  new  Company,  formerly  known  as 
the  Ellsworth  Zouaves,  was  added  to  the  Regiment,  and 
given  the  letter  G.  Its  officers  were : 

Captain,  Edward  S.  Whitehead. 

First  Lieutenant/  Henry  B.  Maxwell, 

Second  John  H.  Johnson.. 

By  direction  of  Governor  Beveridge,  the  Adjutant 
General  of  the  State,  CoL  A.  L.  Higgins,  made  a  requi- 
sition upon  the  General  Government  for  arms,  and  on 
January  14,  1875,  the  first  invoice  arrived  from  the  United 
States  Armory,  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  was  turned 
over  to  Quartermaster  Gillespie. 

Regimental  order  No.  10,  in  February,  1875,  an- 
nounced CoL  McClurg's  Staff,  as  follows: 

Adjutant,       -          First  Lieutenant  Benjamin  W.  Underwood. 

Quartermaster,  Charles  H.  Gillespie. 

Surgeon,  Major  Charles  G.  Smith,  M.  D. 

Assistant  Surgeon,  -     Capt.  Henry  Hooper,  M.  D. 

Chaplain,  Capt.  David  Swing. 

On  March  13,  1875,  a  new  Company,  commanded  by 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  17 

Captain,  E.  T.  Sawyer. 

First   Lieutenant,  E.  Norton. 

Second  Geo.  H.  Bohner. 

was  enrolled  and  given  the  letter  H. 

The  Regiment,  now  having  eight  Companies;  be- 
came entitled  to  the  full  complement  of  Field  and  Staff, 
and  the  following  gentlemen  were  elected  and  commis- 
sioned as  the  Field  Officers: 

Colonel,  Alexander  C.  McClurg. 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  -     Guerdon  S.  Hubbard,  Jr. 

Major,  Edwin  B.  Knox. 

In  February,  1875,  riotous  demonstrations  in  Chicago 
were  made,  directed  more  especially  against  the  treasury 
and  building  of  the  Relief  and  Aid  Society.  The 
prompt  assembling  of  the  First  Regiment,  and  the 
knowledge  that  its  six  Companies  were  bivouacked  in 
its  Armory,  ready  to  sally  forth  at  a  moment's  notice, 
fully  armed  and  equipped,  probably  had  a  greater  effect 
than  any  other  cause  in  preventing  an  outbreak  of  the  com- 
munistic element  at  that  time.  The  Chicago  papers 
were  prompt  in  recognizing  the  Regiment  as  one  of  the 
most  material  aids  in  saving  the  city  from  the  threatened 
violence.  And  there  was  generally  manifested  by  the 
public  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  over  the  formation  of  so 
finely  a  disciplined  force  of  Militia. 

In  March,  steps  were  taken  to  secure  the  passage  of 
a  new  Militia  law  by  the  Legislature,  but  the  lateness  of 
the  Session,  and  above  all  the  differences  of  opinion  as  to 
the  most  desirable  provisions  of  a  new  military  code, 
prevented  any  concerted  action,  and  the  Legislature  ad- 
journed without  amending  the  old,  unsatisfactory  Militia 


1 8  HISTORY  OF  THE 

law,  much  to  the  regret  of  those  who  had   taken  an  in- 
terest in  a  Militia  reorganization  throughout  the  State. 

At  a  business  meeting  of  the  Regiment,  held  May  29, 
1875,  the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means  reported  that 
the 

Amount  subscribed  by  citizens  towards  the  equip- 
ment fund  was  $13,468  50 
Paid  by  members  of  the  Regiment  2>349  5° 

Total  $15,818  oo 

All  of  which  was  being  properly  expended  for  uni- 
forms and  equipments,  under  the  direction  of  the  Auditing 
Board. 

A  new  company  of  35  men  was  admitted.  It  was 
given  the  letter  I,  and  its  officers  were: 

Captain,  J.  Scoville. 

First  Lieutenant,  John  H.  Burns. 

Second  W.  E.  Hall. 

Subsequently  Company  K  was  admitted,  completing 
the  ten  companies  of  the  Regiment.  The  first  officers  of 
Company  K  were: 

Captain,  Charles  W.  Daniels. 

First  Lieutenant,  T.  L.  Clarke. 

Second        "  Charles  W.  Drane. 

In  the  spring  of  1875,  Mrs.  Jesse  ;Whitehead  pressed 
into  the  military  service  a  band  of  young  ladies,  and  their 
generosity,  taste  and  skill  had  provided  a  beautiful  stand 
of  colors,  which  Gen.  J.  D.  Webster,  on  their  behalf,  pre- 
sented to  the  Regiment,  on  the  morning  of  May  13,  at  the 
Exposition  building. 

The  Regiment  appeared  on  the   streets  of  Chicago, 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  19 

in  uniform,  for  the  first  time,  the  same  day  (May  13, 
1875),  when  it  acted  as  escort  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  at  its  annual  meeting.  The  first  public  parade, 
however,  for  the  purpose  of  being  formally  received  by 
the  Executive  of  the  State,  took  place  on  July  28,  1875, 
at  South  Park.  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E  and  F,  only, 
were  represented  in  line.  The  Command  was  reviewed 
by  Gov.  Beveridge,  Lieut.  Gen.  P.  H .  Sheridan,  of  the 
Army,  and  Brig.  Gen.  A.  C.  Ducat,  commanding  Illinois 
National  Guard. 

So  great  interest  had  been  manifested,  and  curiosity 
had  been  so  highly  raised,  that  a  large  number  of  spec- 
tators was  present  to  see  in  what  manner  the  promises 
made  by  the  Regiment  had  been  fulfilled.  That  the  pub- 
lic expectations  were  not  disappointed  appears  from  the 
Chicago  papers  in  their  notices  of  this  review,  and  Har- 
per's Weekly  of  August  21,  1875,  containing  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  parade,  used  the  following  language: 

"This  Regiment  shows  a  perfection  in  drill,  marching  and 
military  carnage  that  is  truly  surprising,  and  gives  evidence 
that  very  many  of  the  line  officers  as  well  as  the  field  have  seen 
service.  It  is  to-day  as  great  a  favorite  in  Chicago  as  the 
"  Seventh  "  is  in  New  York,  for,  like  the  last-named  Regiment, 
it  is  composed  of  men  of  high  standing,  whose  great  aim  is  to 
excel.  At  its  first  parade,  it  was  enthusiastically  received  by 
the  citizens  and  distinguished  visitors  from  abroad,  and  from 
Gen.  Sheridan  and  other  military  men  received  high  commen- 
dation." 

At  the  annual  meeting,  Tuesday,  December  7,  1875, 
Col.  McClurg  declined  a  reelection,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Hub- 
bard  refused  to  accept  a  well-earned  promotion.  Capt. 
George  R.  Davis,  of  Company  A,  was  elected  Colonel, 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Lieut  Col.  Hubbard  and  Maj.  Knox  being  severally 
reflected.  In  the  spring  of  1876,  Maj.  Knox  resigned 
his  commission,  and  on  May  24th,  Samuel  B.  Sherer  was 
elected  to  the  vacant  office.  Lieut.  Col.  Hubbard  also 
resigned  in  the  summer,  and  Col.  Davis,  having  been 
elected  in  November  a  member  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  Congress,  from  the  Second  District,  was 
likewise  compelled  to  sever  his  connection  with  the 
Regiment. 

At  the  next  annual  meeting,  held  December  5,  1876, 
Maj.  Sherer,  the  only  field  officer  of  the  Regiment,  was 
unanimously  elected  Lieutenant  Colonel,  which  office  he 
held  until  his  resignation,  in  August,  1877,  when  Maj. 
Swain  assumed  command,  Col.  McClurg  being  at  this 
time  in  Europe.  Lieut.  Col.  Sherer  commanded  the 
Regiment  during  the  riots  of  July,  1877,  and  his  services 
were  prompt  and  efficient.  Gov.  Cullom  realized  that 
the  State  could  illy  afford  at  this  time  to  lose  so  valuable 
an  officer,  and  he  was  immediately  commissioned  Colonel 
of  the  First  Regiment  of  Cavalry.  His  exertions  soon 
gave  that  body  an  efficient  organization,  and  he  was 
thereupon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General 
and  Chief  of  Cavalry  of  the  State,  upon  the  Staff  of  the 
Governor. 

The  First  Regiment  owes  its  present  existence  to  the 
three  gentlemen,  Col.  McClurg,  Lieut.  Col.  Hubbard  and 
Major  Knox.  In  the  dark  days  of  1874  anc*  1875  when 
so  many  despaired  of  success,  and  officers  and  men  dropped 
out  so  rapidly  that  the  complexion  of  entire  companies  was 
changed  in  a  few  months,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  move- 
ment must  be  abandoned,  these  gentlemen  by  their 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  21 

"fortitcr  in  re  " 
represented  by  Col.  McClurg  and  Major  Knox.  and 

"  Suaritcr  in  inodo" 

of  which  Col.  Hubbard  was  the  exponent,  kept  the  Regi- 
ment together.  Their  courage  and  cheerfulness,  and 
their  labors  in  procuring  money  by  voluntary  donation 
from  the  public,  at  a  time  of  almost  unexampled  pecuniary 
distress  in  the  history  of  the  Country,  are  deserving  of  all 
praise.  Major  Knox  was  and  is  now  an  officer  of  the 
regular  Army  upon  the  retired  list,  with  rank  of  First 
Lieutenant,  and  he  is  the  best  tactician  the  Regiment  has 
had.  On  October  15,  1877,  he  was  elected  Captain  of 
Company  F,  and  was  induced  to  renewr  his  connection 
with  the  Regiment.  He  was  again  elected  Major,  July  30, 
1878,  upon  the  resignation  of  Major  A.  L.  Goldsmith ;  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel,  March  19,  1879,  to  ^  tne  vacancy  caused 
by  the  resignation  of  Lieut.  Col.  Williams,  and  upon  the 
promotion  of  Colonel  Fitz-Simons  as  Brigadier  General  of 
the  First  Brigade,  Lieut.  Col.  Knox  was  unanimously 
elected  Colonel,  October  31,  1882,  which  office  he  now 
holds. 

Colonel  McClurg  and  Lieut.  Col.  Hubbard  both  served 
with  high  rank  in  the  late  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  their 
ripe  expereince  and  high  social  position  fitted  them  to  be 
the  organizers  and  leaders  of  this  movement,  and  carry 
it  on  to  success.  Lieut.  Col.  Hubbard  was  the  first  man 
in  Chicago  to  come  forward  with  something  besides  advice 
for  the  help  of  the  Regiment.  The  definite  materializa- 
tion of  the  command  took  place  in  the  building  which  Col. 
Hubbard  had  gratuitously  presented  for  its  use,  as  has 
been  heretofore  intimated.  He  accepted  the  Majority  very 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE 

reluctantly,  and  only  from  a  sense  of  duty.  He  was  very 
popular  in  the  Regiment,  and  nothing  but  his  decided  re- 
fusal to  accept  the  office,  prevented  his  election  as  Colonel, 
in  December,  1875. 

That  Col.  McClurg' s  efforts  were  fully  appreciated  is 
shown  from  the  circumstance  of  his  having  been  speedily 
called  upon  to  resume  the  command.  He  was  suffered  to 
remain  in  retirement  but  a  short  time,  and  notwithstand- 
ing his  reluctance,  on  March  12,  1877,  he  was  again  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  Regiment,  which  position  he  held  until 
his  resignation,  in  November,  1877. 

On  March  12,  1877,  Edgar  D.  Swain  was  elected 
Major,  and  at  this  date  the  field  officers  were: 

Colonel,  Alexander  C.  McClurg. 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  -     Samuel  B.  Sherer. 

Major,  Edgar  D.  Swain 

Lieut.  Col.  Sherer  resigned  August  28,  1877,  and 
Major  Swain  was  elected  his  successor,  Alfred  L.  Gold- 
smith, Captain  of  Company  D,  being  promoted  to  the 
Majority.  Major  Goldsmith  resigned  July  i,  1878,  and  on 
July  30,  Edwin  B.  Knox,  Captain  of  Company  F,  was 
elected  to  this  vacancy,  as  above  stated. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Col.  McClurg  in  1877,  Lieut. 
Col.  Swain  became  Colonel,  and  Rudolph  Williams,  Cap- 
tain of  Company  G,  was  elected  Lieutenant  Colonel.  In 
January,  1878  the  field  officers  were  : 

Colonel,  Edgar  D.  Swain. 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  Rudolph  Williams. 

Major,     -  -     Alfred  L.  Goldsmith. 

Immediately  after  assuming  command  as  Major, 
Col.  Swain  realized  that  the  Regiment  could  have 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  23 

no  independent  and  assured  existence  for  the  future, 
unless  it  secured  a  building  of  its  own,  properly  planned 
and  erected  for  military  uses,  and  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  this  object.  The  Regiment  had  been  particularly 
fortunate  in  having  for  its  Commanding  Officers  gen- 
tlemen of  ability  and  determination,  but  the  erection  of 
an  Armory  had  heretofore  appeared  to  them  all,  too 
great  an  undertaking,  without  aid  from  the  State.  In 
March,  1876,  an  unsuccessful  effort  had  been  made  to 
to  secure  an  appropriation  from  the  City  Council,  for  the 
renting  of  an  Armory.  Col.  Swain  vowed  that  the 
Regiment  should  have  its  own  Armory  -  -  and  the 
Armory  was  erected.  Ground  was  broken  on  the  site  of 
old  Trinity  Church,  April  18,  1878,  and  on  May  18, 
1878,  as  the  Commander  of  the  Regiment,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Civic  officers  of  Chicago,  the  entire  military 
force  of  Cook  County,  commanded  by  its  Brigadier 
General,  and  acting  as  escort  to  the  Major  General, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Grand  Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  of 
Illinois,  Col.  Swain  had  the  proud  satisfaction  of  laying 
the  Corner  Stone  of  the  very  commodious  and  pictur- 
esque building  on  Jackson  street,  which  his  patience, 
energy  and  determination  had  secured.  The  Armory 
was  formally  dedicated  October  29,  1878,  by  appropriate 
ceremonies,  and  the  Regiment  has  had  a  local  habitation, 
as  well  as  a  name,  since  that  time.  Col.  Swain  resigned 
in  October,  1881,  greatly  to  the  regret  of  his  comrades, 
and  he  is  now  one  of  the  most  popular  officers  of  the 
Veteran  Corps. 

Col.  Swain  was  succeeded  by  Col.  Charles  Fitz- 
Simons,  who  was  promoted,  in  October,  1882,  as  Briga- 
dier General  of  the  First  Brigade. 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Upon  the  promotion  of  Major  Knox  as  Lieutenant 
Colonel,  in  March,  1879,  J*  Henry  Truman  was  elected 
Major,  and  upon  his  resignation  in  the  following  Decem- 
ber, John  D.  Bangs  was  rewarded  for  his  long  and 
faithful  services  as  Quartermaster  by  being  elected  to  the 
vacant  Majority.  After  the  resignation  of  Major  Bangs, 
Capt.  Diehl  was  promoted  to  the  Majority,  and  when  Lieut. 
Col.  Knox  became  Colonel,  upon  the  promotion  of  Col. 
Fitz-Simons,  Major  Diehl  was  the  choice  of  the  Regi- 
ment for  the  vacant  Lieutenant  Colonelcy,  and  Henry  S. 
Bowler,  Captain  of  Company  B,  became  Major.  He 
succeeded  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  upon  the  resignation  of 
Lieut.  Col.  Diehl,  in  1883,  Wm.  L.  Lindsay,  Captain 
of  Company  G,  becoming  Major.  The  present  Field 
Officers  of  the  Regiment  are: 

Edwin  B.  Knox,  Colonel. 

Henry  S.  Bowler,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

Wm.  L.  Lindsay,  Major. 

The  changes  in  the  Field  and  Line  officers  have  been 
very  rapid,  owing  to  the  cosmopolitan  character  of 
Chicago.  Col.  Knox  is  now  the  only  one  of  the  original 
officers  who  has  an  active  connection  with  the  Regiment, 
and  even  his  service  has  not  been  continuous. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  curious  and  those  having  a  per- 
sonal interest  in  the  history  of  the  Regiment,  a  table  is 
subjoined,  showing  the  names  of  the  first  officers  of  the 
ten  companies  who  were  commissioned,  and  of  all  of  the 
field  officers,  down  to  the  present  time: 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD. 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


LINE. 

COMPANY  A. 

A.  M.  Ferris, 
Chas.  Jernegan, 
Chas.  S.  Diehl, 

COMPANY  B. 

Edwin  B.  Knox, 
W.  W.  Bishop, 
Henry  S.  Bowler, 

COMPANY  C. 

Mason  B.  Carpenter, 
Frank  B.  Davis, 
John  D.  Bangs, 

COMPANY  D. 

John  W.  Hawley, 
Wm.  Dickinson, 
Frank  A.  Dix, 

COMPANY  E. 

Holdridge  O.  Collins, 
Samuel  Appleton, 
Gilbert  M.  Holmes, 

COMPANY   F. 
William  Black, 
Robert  B.  Lewis, 
Wm.  P.  Gunthorp, 

COMPANY  G. 

Edward  S.  Whitehead, 
Henry  B.  Maxwell, 
John   H.  Johnson, 

COMPANY  H. 

E.  T.  Sawyer, 
E.  Norton, 
Geo.  H.  Bohner, 


Date  of  Commission. 

December      i,  1874. 
September    8,  1874. 

September    8,  1874. 


September  8,  1874. 
December  i,  1874. 
September  8,  1874. 


September  15,  1874. 
December     i,  1874. 

September  16,  1874. 


September  28,  1874. 
December     i,  1874. 


December      i,  1874. 

March  13,  1875. 

April  20,  1875. 


26 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant, 


COMPANY   I. 

C.  R.  E.  Koch, 

Chas.  A.  Starkweather, 

Garrett  M.  Vanzwoll, 


May 


29,  1875. 


Captain, 

First  Lieutenant, 

Second  Lieutenant 


COMPANY  K. 

Charles  W.  Daniels, 
T.  L.  Clarke, 
Charles  W.  Dean, 


September  15,  1875. 


FIELD. 


ELECTED. 

PROMOTED. 

RESIGNED. 

Majors  : 
Frank  T.  Sherman  
Guerdon  S.  Hubbard,  Jr. 

September  14,  1874 
October       5,  1874 
April          10,  18715 

October        5,   1874 
April            3,   1875 

Feb  14  1876 

May            24,  1876 

March         12,  1877 

Alfred  L.  Goldsmith... 

August      28,  1877 

July  i.  187*. 

J.  Henry  Truman  

April            17,  1879 
January        5)  1880 

Dec.  i,  1879. 
Jan  i  1882 

Charles  S.  Diehl  
Henry  S.  Bowler  

March        26,   1882 
October      31,  1882 
August         8,  1883 

October     31,   1882 
August       S,  1883 

Lieutenant  Colonels  .' 
Frank  T.  Sherman  
Alexander  C.  McClurg. 
Guerdon  S.  Hubbard  .  Jr 
Samuel  B.  Sherer  

October       5,  1874 
December    i,  1874 
April            3,  187=; 
December    5,  1876 

March         13,   1875 

Dec.  i,  iS;|. 

Sept.  i,  1876. 
Aug.  28,  1877. 

Rudolph  Williams  

December    i,  1877 

Feb.  i,  1879. 

Charles  S.  Diehl  

October      31,  1882 

August        8   1883 

Colonels  : 
Alexander  C.  McClurg. 
George  R.  Davis  
Alexander  C.  McClurg. 
Edgar  D.  Swain  
Charles  Filz-Simons..  .  . 
Edwin  B.  Knox.  .  . 

March        13,  1875 
December   7,  1875 
Ma;ch        12,  1877 
December    i,  1877 
February   20,  1882 
October      11.  1882 

October      20,   1882 

Dec.  7,  /S7i. 
Xov.  21,  1876. 
Nov.  13,  1877. 
Oct.  31.  iSSi. 

ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD. 


27 


II. 


The  Formation  of  Regiments   and    Battalions 
throtigho-ut  the   State. 


HE  Favorable  reception  of  a  Regiment  of  Militia 
in  Chicago  was  an  incentive  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  other  similar  bodies  in  the  more  populous 
Counties  of  the  State,  and  very  soon,  enrolments 
of  many  independent  Companies  were  reported 
to  the  Adjutant  General,  with  requisitions  for  arms  and 
requests  for  assignment. 

The  following  Companies  were  commissioned  in  rapid 
succession : 


COMPANY. 

LOCATION. 

CAPTAIN. 

DATE. 

Harris  Guards  
Altona  Rifles                    

Petersburg  

Cornelius  Rorke  

October      8,  1874. 

Belleville  Guards 

Belleville 

Morris  

Robert  B.  Horrie  

Livingston  County  Guards. 

Pontiac  
Pawnee  

John  Hudson  (Lieut.),.  . 

January     13,  1875. 

Nokomis  Guards  
Washington  Guards  
Moline  Rifles  
Watseka  Rifles  
National  Blues  

Nokomis  
Belviderc  
Moline  
Watseka  
Peoria  

John  Carscens  
M.  J.  Flynn  
L.  S.  Rasmussen  
Mathew  II.  Peters  
John  I  lough  
William  C  Gilbreath 

February  10,  1^7^. 
March        23,  187:;. 
April         20,  1875. 
May            19,  1875. 
June             4,  1875. 

Klinira  Guards  

Klmira  

July              3,  1875. 

Union  Guards  
Bohemian  Rifles  
Veteran  Guards  
Franklin  Guards  

Sycamore  
Chicago  
Peoria  
Benton  
Streator 

R.  A.  Smith  
Prokop  Iludck  
Thomas  Cosgrove  
John  II.  Ilogan  
C  W  Keller 

July           21,  1875. 
August      9,  1875. 
August     n,  1875. 
August     14,  1875. 

Fairfield  Guards  

Fairfield  . 

John  R.  Handlv  

Atlanta  Light-  Guards  

Atlanta 

Pana  Guards  

Pana    ..      . 

September  i3,i^7S- 

Marion  Guards  

Marion  

James  V.  Grider  
W.  W.  Wharry  

September  20,  1875. 
September  21,1875. 

Keokuk  Junct 

C.  E  Hennick  

October     27,  1875. 

Lincoln  Guards  

Quincy  

Samuel  Bynum  

October    30,  1875. 

28 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


COMPANY. 

LOCATION. 

CAPTAIN. 

DATE. 

Peoria  

Thomas  Lynch  

December  6,  1875. 
December  30,  1875. 
December  7,  1875. 
December  7,  1875. 
February    i,  1876. 
December  7,  1875. 
December  7,  1875. 
March       13,  1876. 
January     18,  1876. 
March          i,  1876. 
January     17,  1876. 
January     17,  1876. 
January     25,  1876. 
January     27,  1876. 
January     28,  1876. 
January     29,  1876. 
January     31,  1876. 
February    6,  1876. 
February    9,  1876. 
February  12,  1876. 
February  16,  1876. 
February  22,  1876. 
March         6,  1876. 
March       16,  1876. 
March        17,  1876. 
March       21,  1876. 
March       30,  1876. 
April          13,  1876. 
May             i,  1876. 
May           12,  1876. 
May           15,  1876. 
May           20,  1876. 
May            23,  1876. 
May           27,  1876. 
June               i,  1876. 
June              7,  1876. 
June            14,  1876. 
June            19,  1876. 
June             20,  1876. 
June            27,  1876. 
July               i,  1876. 
luly            22,  1876. 
July            25,  1876. 
July            28,  1876. 
August       i,  1876. 
August       4,  1876. 
August      14,  1876. 
August      26,  1876. 
September  i,  1876. 
September,  30,  1876, 

Galva  Guards  

Galva  

N.  Flansburg  
E.  J.  Cunniff 

Company  B,  2cl  Regiment.  . 
Company  C,  2d  Regiment.  . 
Company  D,  2d  Regiment.  . 
Company  E,  2d  Regiment.  . 
Company  F,  2d  Regiment.  . 
Company  G,  2d  Regiment.  . 

Chicago  
Chicago  
Chicago  
Chicago  

P.  J.  O'Connor  
Thomas  Meaney  

Joe  A.  Eagle  
Daniel  Quirk  

I.  H.  Donlon  

Chicago  

Win.  G.  Marsh  

Cowden  

Cass  Burrus  

A  E  McNeal 

Oneida  Guards  
Carthao-e  Blues  

Oneida  
Carthage  

Orrin  P.  Cooley  
Chas.  A.  Gilchrist  

Pontiac  

H.  B.  Reed  

Sterling  

[Cewanee 

Creston  ll.  C.  Snrip'p-  

Crab  Orchard.. 

La  Salle  Light-Guards  . 

La  Salle     

Wm.  Aitkin  

DANVILLE  BATTERY  
Piper  City  Guards  
Chicago  Light  Car  airy  
Logan  Guards  

Danville  
Piper  City  
Chicago  
Murpheysboro  . 

Edmund  Winter  
H.  C.  Baughman  
Geo.  M.  Miller  
Gill  J.  Burr  
C.  C.  Morse  

Milliard  Guards 

Wata<>-a 

Elisha  B.  Hamilton  

Sherman  Guards  

Springfield  
Toliet. 

Benjamin  F.  Spangler.. 
Daniel  C.  Haves  ,.... 

Wyoming  Light-  Guards.  .. 
Paris  Guards  
Glenn  Rifles  

Wyoming  
Paris  
Mt.  Sterling.  .  .  . 

H.  J.  Cosgrove  
Joseph  "W.  Vance  
N.  S.  Westbrook  

Odell  Guards  
Quincy  Veterans  

Odell  
Quincy  

J.K.Howard  
Francis  Aid  (Lieut.)  
C.  M.  Bru/.ee  

St.  Clair  Guards  
Morgan  Cadets  

East  St.  Louis.. 
Jacksonville  .... 
Galena  

Willis  E.  Finch  
Wm.  Harrison  
Wm.  Pittam  

Governor's  Guards  
Dwight  Guards  
Augusta  Guards  
Homer  Lie^ht-  Guards.  .  . 

Springfield  
Dwight  
Augusta  
Homer  .  .  . 

James  E.  Hill  (Lieut.)... 
S.  H.  Kenney  
Ell.    Gillett  
Geo.  W.  Caines... 

ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARD.  29 

The  eight  new  Companies  of  Infantry  in  Chicago, 
consolidated  into  the  Second  Regiment,  were  composed 
of  Irish-American  citizens,  and  their  organization  was 
modeled  after  the  famous  Sixty-Ninth  Regiment  of  New 
York.  They  labored  under  considerable  discouragement 
at  first,  but  owing  to  the  indefatigable  exertions  of 
Brig.  Gen.  Ducat,  James  Quirk,  its  first  Commander, 
William  J.  Onahan,  John  J.  Healy,  Thomas  Brennan, 
Thomas  Hoyne  and  other  zealous  gentlemen,  who  had 
at  heart  the  formation  of  an  Irish  Regiment  in  Chicago, 
all  obstacles  were  surmounted;  uniforms  were  purchased, 
an  armory  was  obtained,  and  the  State  supplied  the  arms 
and  equipments.  The  following  gentlemen  composed 
the  origiaal  Field  and  Staff: 

James  Quirk,  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

John  Murphy,  Major. 

Wm.  P.  Dunne,  Major  and  Surgeon. 

John  Lanigan,  First  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant, 

Wm.  J.  Onahan,  First  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster. 

During  the  Railroad  riots  of  1877  in  Chicago,  the 
Second  Regiment  was  stationed  in  the  most  dangerous 
portion  of  the  city,  and  its  prompt  suppression  of  disor- 
der, and  steady  obedience  to  its  superior  officers,  gained  for 
it  the  good  wishes  and  thanks  of  the  citizens,  as  well  as 
a  national  reputation.  The  following  telegram  was  read 
to  the  Regiment  when  drawn  up  in  line  at  the  Halsted 
street  viaduct,  on  the  morning  of  July  28,  1877: 

"  HEADQUARTERS  69x11  REGIMENT,  N.  Y.  S.  M. 

NEW  YORK  CITY,  July  27,  1877. 
Lieut.  Col.  James  Quirk  : 

"  In  the  name  of  the  691!!  and  other   Irish-American  Regi- 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ments,  I  congratulate  the  Second  Regiment  of  Illinois  Militia 
on  doing  their  duty  by  the  Country  in  this  eventful  crisis. 

"  JAMES  CAVANAGH, 

"  Colonel  Commanding." 

Gov.  John  L.  Beveridge  devoted  much  personal  at- 
tention to  the  reorganization  of  the  State  Militia.  An 
old  campaigner  himself,  he  was  well  qualified  by  his  ex- 
perience to  assume  the  duties,  as  well  as  the  rank  of 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  State  forces.  In  the  early  part 
of  1875,  rie  realized  that  he  was  working  at  great  disadvan- 
tage by  reason  of  the  numerous  reports,  requisitions  and  re- 
quests made  to  him  directly  from  the  numerous  unas- 
signed  Companies,  and  that  the  proper  expedition  of 
these  matters  demanded  the  appointment  of  an  interme- 
diate commanding  officer,  who  would  relieve  him  of  the 
tedious  detail  of  the  organization  by  condensing  reports 
and  accounts,  and  making  general  and  special  recom- 
mendations. 

Section  3  of  the  Militia  Law  then  in  force,  entited 
"  An  Act  to  revise  the  law  in  relation  to  the  State 
Militia,"  approved  March  23,  1874,  practically  gave  him 
the  right  to  appoint  as  many  Major  and  Brigadier  Gen- 
erals as  he  thought  proper,  but  he  determined  to  com- 
mence by  placing  the  entire  force  under  the  command  of 
one  Brigadier  General. 

Illinois  embraced  among  her  citizens  many  gentle- 
men who  had  been  greatly  distinguished  in  the  late  war 
for  their  executive  ability  and  military  skill  and  acumen 
in  the  command  of  the  Brigade,  Division  and  Corps,  and 
the  Governor  was  not  at  a  loss  to  find  material  suitable 
for  his  purpose. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  31 

His  choice  fell  upon  Gen.  Arthur  C.  Ducat,  of  Chi- 
'cago,  a  gentleman  whose  military  experience,  rank  and 
services  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  eminently  fitted  him 
for  the  arduous  duties  of  such  a  command. 

Gen.  Ducat  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Twelfth  Illinois 
Infantry,  in  May,  1861.  He  was  rapidly  promoted,  and  in 
April,  1 862,  he  became  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  same  regi- 
ment. He  served  as  Chief  of  Staff  of  Maj.  Gen.  E.  O.  C. 
Ord  and  Maj.  Gen.  William  S.  Rosecrans,  and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1862,  he  was  assigned  by  the  President  as  Inspector 
General  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  under  Maj.  Gen. 
George  H.  Thomas.  In  consequence  of  physical  dis- 
abilities acquired  in  the  service,  he  resigned  from  the 
army  in  1864,  with  the  rank  of  Brevet  Brigadier  General. 

His  discharge  bears  the  following  autograph  endorse- 
ment, an  unusual  honor: 

"  HEADQUARTERS  MIL.  Div.  OF  THE  Miss., 

"  NASHVILLE,  Term.,  Feb.  19,  1864. 

"  Lieut.  Col.  Ducat  leaves  the  service  in  consequence  of 
ill  health  alone.  His  services  have  been  valuable,  and  fully 
appreciated  by  all  those  under  whom  he  has  served,  as  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  he  rose  from  the  position  of  a  private,  then  First 
Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  of  his  Regiment,  to  the  Lieutenant 
Colonel  of  it,  and  finally  Assistant  Inspector  General  of  the  De- 
partment of  the  Cumberland. 

"  U.  S.  GRANT,  Maj.  Gen" 

Gen.  Ducat  accepted  the  command  of  the  Illinois 
National  Guard  with  great  reluctance,  knowing  well  the 
difficulties  of  the  undertaking.  The  term  "  military  dis- 
cipline "  was  not  at  that  time  very  clearly  defined  in  the 
minds  of  the  Militia,  and  some  of  the  first  measures  of  the 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE 

General,  which  were  of  a  radical  and  positive  character, 
caused  so  many  protests  and  objections,  that  on  August 
10,  1875,  ne  tendered  his  resignation.  Gov.  Beveridge, 
however,  wisely  refused  to  accept  it,  and  calling  his  atten- 
tion to  paragraph  4  of  General  Order  No.  i,  under  date 
of  August  i,  1875,  viz.,  "  The  General  commanding  will 
take  such  measures,  under  the  law,  as  in  his  judgment  he 
deems  proper,  for  the  discipline,  inspection  and  efficiency 
of  the  troops  under  his  command,"  gave  him  the  emphatic 
promise  that  his  course  should  receive  the  hearty  support 
of  the  Executive. 

With  such  an.  assurance  of  confidence,  Gen.  Ducat  felt 
himself  under  obligations  to  proceed,  and  he  entered 
upon  the  work,  determined  to  carry  through  his  measures 
of  reform,  discipline  and  organization,  regardless  of  the 
consequences  to  individuals  or  commands.  How  well 
that  work  was  done,  and  how  firmly  he  was  sustained  by 
Gov.  Beveridge  during  the  remainder  of  his  administra- 
tion, this  record  will  show. 

In  July,  1875,  a  change  was  made  in  the  office  of 
Adjutant  General  of  the  State,  by  the  appointment  of 
Col.  H.  Hilliard.  Col.  Hilliard  was  an  old  soldier,  hav- 
ing seen  service  on  many  battlefields.  He  had  executive 
abilities  of  high  order,  and  he  was  entirely  competent  to 
assume  the  duties  of  Adjutant  and  Quartermaster  General 
of  the  State.  Soon  after  his  appointment,  at  a  personal 
interview  in  Chicago,  Gen.  Ducat  gave  him  a  general 
outline  of  his  plan  of  organization,  and  he  did  afford  very 
material  assistance  to  the  Governor  and  Gen.  Ducat  in 
their  efforts  to  consolidate  and  discipline  the  rapidly 
augmenting  forces. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  33 

Pursuant  to  the  plan  of  Gen.  Ducat,  immediate  steps 
were  taken  to  assign  the  Companies  to  Regiments  or 
Battalions,  and  by  December,  1876,  the  following  con- 
solidations had  been  effected: 

FIRST  REGIMENT. 

Organized  at  Chicago;  Col.  George  R.  Davis,  com- 
manding. 

SECOND  REGIMEMT. 

Organized  at  Chicago;  Lieut.  Col.  James  Quirk,  com- 
manding. 

THIRD  REGIMENT. 

Sycamore  Union  Guards. 

Sycamore  Guards. 

Sterling  Guards. 

Creston  Guards. 

Aurora  Light-Guards. 

LaSalle  Light-Guards. 

Naperville  Guards. 

Rockford  Guards. 

Galena  Guards. 

Chicago  Bohemian  Rifles. 

The  first  election  of  Field  Officers  was  held  on 
January  15,  1876,  at  La  Salle,  and  resulted  in  the  choice 
of  the  following  gentlemen: 

Colonel,  J.  W.  R.  Stambaugh,  Captain  of  Sterling 
Guards. 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  John  B.  Day,  of  La  Salle. 

Major,  L.  C.  Mills,  of  Streator. 

The  first  Adjutant  was  Lieut.  S.  S.  Auchmoedy,  of 
Sterling. 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE 

FOURTH  REGIMENT. 

Altona  Rifles. 
Peoria  National  Blues. 
Peoria  Veteran  Guards. 
Peoria  Emmet  Guards. 
Elmira  Guards. 
Galva  Guards. 
Oneida  Guards. 
Kewanee  Guards. 
Wataga  Hilliard  Guards. 
Wyoming  Light-Guards. 

The  first  Field  Officers  were  elected  at  Peoria,  on 
February  2,  1876,  viz: 

Colonel,  John  Hough,  Captain  Peoria  National  Blues. 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  Wm.  Whiting,  Captain  Altona 
Rifles. 

Major,  A.  T.  Johnson,  Captain  Kewanee  Guards. 

Lieut.  James  Welsh,  of  Peoria,  was  appointed  the 
tirst  Adjutant. 

FIFTH  REGIMENT. 

Petersburg  Harris  Guards. 

Nokomis  Guards. 

Williamsville  Cullom  Guards. 

Atlanta  Light-Guards. 

Cowden  Shelby  County  Guards. 

Springfield  Sherman  Guards. 

Springfield  Governor's  Guards. 

Taylor ville  Guards. 

Jacksonville  Morgan  County  Guards. 

Jacksonville  Morgan  Cadets. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  35 

The  original  Field  Officers  were: 

Colonel,  John  A.  Howard,  of  Pana. 
Lieutenant   Colonel,  Ira  A.  Church,  Captain  Atlanta 
Light-Guards. 

Major,  Louis  H.  Williams,  of  Cowden. 

The  first  Adjutant  was  Lieut.  W.  Jordon,  of  Pana. 

SIXTH  REGIMENT. 

Students  of  the  State  Industrial  School  at  Champaign, 
forming  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G  and  H,  Colonel 
Edward  Snyder  comanding. 

SEVENTH  BATTALION. 

Belleville  Guards. 
Benton  Franklin  Guards. 
Fail-field  Guards. 
Marion  Guards. 
Crainville  Guards. 

Capt.  J.  W.  Landrum  of  the  Crainville  Guards,  being 
the  Senior  Officer,  was  directed  to  assume  command  of 
the  Battalion.  This  consolidation  was  but  temporary, 
and  soon  after  th^  Governor  made  a  different  assignment 
of  the  Companies. 

EIGHTH  REGIMENT. 

Moline  Rifles. 
Keokuk  Junction  Guards. 
Quincy  Lincoln  Guards. 
Quincy  National  Guards. 
Quincy  Veteran  Guards. 
Bowensberg  Guards. 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Carthage  Blues. 

Bushnell  Westfall  Zouaves. 

Mt.  Sterling  Glen  Rifles. 

Astoria  Guards. 

Augusta  Guards. 

This  Regiment  was  organized  at  Peoria,  on  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1876,  by  the  election  of  the  following  gentlemen 
as  Field  Officers: 

Colonel,  Wm.  Hanna,  Captain  Keokuk  Junction 
Guards. 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  E.  K.  Westfall,  Captain  Bushnell 
Westfall  Zouaves. 

Major,  R.  R.  McMullen,  Captain  Quincy  Veterans. 

Lieut.  C.  Hennick,  of  Keokuk  Junction,  was  appointed 
the  first  Adjutant. 

NINTH  BATTALION. 

Watseka  Rifles. 
Danville  Guards. 
DANVILLE  BATTERY. 
Piper  City  Guards. 
Paris  Light-Guards. 
Homer  Light-Guards. 

The  first  Commander  was  W.  H.  Chandler,  elected 
Major  on  April  6,  1876,  at  Danville. 

Lieut.  J.  E.  Field,  of  Danville,  was  the  first  Adju- 
tant. 

TENTH  BATTALION. 

Streator  Guards. 
Pontiac  Guards. 
Marseilles  Guards. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  37 

Juliet  Citizens'  Corps. 

Odell  Guards. 

Dwight  Guards. 

The  first  election  of  Field  Officers,  held  at  Dwight  on 
August  16,  1876,  placed  the  following  gentlemen  in 
command : 

Lieutenant  Colonel,  J.  B.  Parsons,  Captain  Dwight 
Guards. 

Major,  L.  C.  Mills,  Captain  Streator  Guards. 

Lieut.  John  B.  Fithian,  of  Joliet,  was  appointed  the 
first  Adjutant. 

In  his  Biennial  report  for  the  years  1875  and  1876, 
Adjutant  General  Hilliard,  showed  clearly  the  rapid 
progress  made,  and  demonstrated  an  unmistakable  desire 
throughout  the  State  for  a  thorougly  equipped  and  dis- 
ciplined Militia.  His  recommendations  were  based 
upon  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  requirements  of  the 
service  and  zeal  for  its  improvement.  He  refers  to  Gen. 
Ducat  and  the  Field  and  Staff,  as  follows  (  Vide  pp. 
10,  u): 

"  I  desire  here  to  say  that  great  praise  is  due  to  Brig.  Gen. 
Arthur  C.  Ducat,  and  his  staff  officers,  for  the  able  and  efficient 
manner  in  which  they  have  performed  their  duties.  This  de- 
partment is  largely  indebted  to  these  gentlemen  for  their  able 
assistance  and  generous  advice.  As  a  body  composed  largely 
of  veterans  who  have  seen  service,  they  will  rank  with  a  like 
number  of  military  officials  of  our  sister  States.  The  Field  and 
Staff  officers,  also,  of  the  Battalions  as  organized,  have  evinced, 
in  the  main,  a  desire  to  bring  their  commands  up  to  a  high  state 
of  discipline,  and  great  praise  is  due  to  them  for  the  great  per- 
sonal sacrifices  they  have  made  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
State  troops." 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  term  of  Gov.  Beveridge  expired  Monday,  Janu- 
ary 8,  1877,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Gov.  Shelby  M. 
Cullom.  In  his  message  to  the  Thirtieth  General 
Assembly,  Gov.  Beveridge  used  the  following  language, 
in  referring  to  the  Militia  : 

"  An  unusual  interest  in  military  affairs,  for  a  time  of  peace, 
has  of  late  been  manifested  throughout  the  State.  The  Ad- 
jutant General  has  been  very  active  and  effective  in  organizing 
and  arming  the  Militia.  July  i,  1875,  the  total  organized  mili- 
tary force  in  the  State  was  895  men  and  officers,  consisting  of 
one  Regiment  of  eight  companies  and  twelve  detached  com- 
panies. September  30,  1876,  the  total  force  was  5,146,  consti- 
tuting a  Brigade  of  seven  Regiments,  three  Battalions  and  eight 
detached  companies,  aggregating  eighty-five  companies. 

"  All   thjise_cugaiiizajtioj!LS_^ 

and  can.  disband  at  pleasure.  The  members  give  their  time 
and,  with  such  aid  as  can  be  obtained  from  citizens,  furnish 
their  own  uniform  and  armories.  The  State  supplies  the  arms. 
There  is  no  term  of  enljsiniejit.  The  men  merely  sign  a  mus- 
ter roll  ;  they  take  no  oath  ;  they  assume^n^obligation,  except 
what  a  sense  of  military  pride  may  impose,  and  there  is  no 
power  to  enforce~obedTence:  TtrejPfficers^  fleeted  are 


sip  ned  by  -±keJS£^^npj^aivd__jjay  refusal  of  officer  or  men  to 
obey  the  orders  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  can  only  be  reme- 
died by  revoking  the  commission,  disbanding  the  company  and 
calling  in  the  arms. 

"  Such  a  military  system  is  valueless  in  war,  and  its  only 
value  in  peace  is  in  the  pride  of  the  men  and  the  honor  of  the 
citizens  who  voluntarily  form  these  independent  organizations. 

"  The  Militia  Law  of  the  State  is  very  crude  and  imperfect, 
and  needs  revision.  In  my  opinion,  the  state  should  provide 
for  the  organization  and  discipline  of  a  limited  number  of  Regi- 
ments, and  for  the  encouragement  of  such  organization  and  the 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL    GUARD.  39 

preservation  of  its  own  property,  should  provide,  at  least,  suit- 
able armories.  A  well-organized  Militia,  composed  of  our  own 
citizens,  will  not  endanger  the  liberties  of"  the  people,  but  on 
the  contrary,  give  greater  security  to  life,  property  and  liberty." 

The  foregoing  statement  demonstrated  the  very  de- 
fective condition  of  the  State  Militia  Law,  and  the  great 
obstacles  which  had  been  surmounted  to  achieve  so  grat- 
ifying a  success. 

Gov.  Beveridge  refers  in  very  flattering  terms  to  his 
Adjutant  General,  and  too  modestly  refrains  from  any 
statement  of  his  own  labors;  but  the  great  interest  he 
took  in  the  Militia,  almost  from  the  day  of  his  inaugura- 
tion; the  encouragement  and  promise  of  aid  given  by 
him  both  as  an  official  and  private  citizen;  his  many  jour- 
neys to  different  parts  of  the  State,  for  the  purpose  of 
personally  superintending  the  enrolment  of  Companies 
and  consolidation  of  Regiments  and  Battalions,  and  his 
prompt  and  effective  requisitions  upon  the  General  Gov- 
ernment for  arms  and  equipments,  are  too  generally 
known  to  need  comment. 

Governor  Cullom  fully  appreciated  the  necessity  for 
a  reliable,  armed  citizen  soldiery,  and  in  his  Inaugural 
Message  to  the  Thirtieth  General  Assembly,  he  referred 
to  the  subject  in  the  following  concise  and  emphatic 
terms : 

"  I  desire  to  add  one  suggestion  in  reference  to  the  affairs 
of  our  own  State,  by  calling  your  attention  to  the  Militia  Law. 
I  believe  a  more  perfect  law  should  be  enacted,  which  will  se- 
cure a  more  thorough  organization  of  the  State  Militia. 

"The  spirit  of  our  institutions,  and  the  temper  of  our  peo- 
ple, are  hostile  to  a  standing  army  ;  and  I  am  opposed  to  any 


40  HISTORY   OF   THE 

policy,  State  or  National,  looking  to  governing  the  people  by 
the  bayonet.  Yet,  in  the  most  highly-civilized  communities,  a 
trained  Militia,  recruited  from  the  intelligent  and  industrious 
classes,  is  an  almost  indispensable  auxiliary  to  the  civil  power, 
in  the  interests  of  peace  and  good  order." 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD. 


III. 


The  Brigade  and  toe  Militia  I,aw  of  1877. 


RTHUR  C.  DUCAT  was  appointed  Brig- 
adier General,  June  8,  1875,  and  General 
Order  No.  i,  directing  him  to  assume  com- 
mand of  all  the  Military  forces  of  the  State 
of  Illinois,  and  appoint  a  Staff,  was  issued 
from  Springfield,  dated  August  i,  1875. 

General  Order  No.  3,  bearing  date,  Spring- 
field, December  21,  1875,  consolidating  the 
forces  into  Regiments  and  Battalions,  as  shown  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  was  issued  simultaneously  with  Gen. 
Ducat's  first  order,  under  the  same  date,  from  Brigade 
Headquarters  at  Chicago,  assuming  the  command. 

The    following    gentlemen    were    announced    as    the 
Brigade  Staff: 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE 

E.  A.  Otis,  Colonel  and  Chief  of  Staff,  Chicago. 
Geo.  I.  Waterman,  Lt.  Col.  and  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen.,  Chicago. 
Wm.  E.  Strong,  Lt.  Col.  and  Inspector  Gen.  Chicago. 
Francis  Morgan,  Lt.  Col.  and  Chf .  of  Artillery,  Chicago. 
Albert  L.  Coe,  Major  and  Quartermaster,  Chicago. 
G.  S.  Dana,  Major  and  Commissary,  Springfield. 
Ben.  C.  Miller,  Major  and  Surgeon,  Chicago. 
Isaac  Poole,  Captain  and  Assistant  Surgeon,  Evanston. 
P.  W.  Plank,  Capt.  and  Asst.  Inspector,  Champaign. 
J.  M.  Hosford,  Capt.  and  Asst.  Inspector,  Genesseo. 
Noble  B.  Wiggins,  Capt.  and  Asst.  Insp.,  Springfield. 
A.  L.  Whitehall,  Capt.  and  Asst.  Inspector,  Watseka. 
H.  E.  Selby,  Capt.  and  Asst.  Insp.,  Keokuk  Junction. 
J.  K.  Howard,  Capt.  and  Assistant  Inspector,  Odell. 
Henry  B.  Ayers,  Capt.  and  Asst.  Inspector,  Peoria. 
Henry  B.  Maxwell,  Capt.  and  Asst.  Insp.,  Chicago. 
John  Hawley,  First  Lieut,  and  Aide-de-Camp,  Chicago. 
Henry  B.  Whitehouse,    First   Lt.     and   Aide-de-Camp, 

Chicago. 
Holdridge  O.    Collins,  First  Lieut,  and  Aide-de-Camp, 

Chicago. 

Nearly  all  of  these  officers  had  been  distinguished  for 
services  in  the  late  war,  and  their  intelligent  cooperation 
soon  placed  their  several  departments  in  a  very  creditable 
condition  of  efficiency.  Gen.  Strong  entered  the  United 
States  service  in  May,  1861,  as  Captain  of  Company  F, 
Second  Wisconsin  Infantry,  and  in  November,  1864,  he 
became  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  Twelfth  Wisconsin 
Infantry.  He  served  during  the  war  as  Inspector  General 
Right  Wing,  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  under  Major  Gen. 
James  B.  McPherson ;  as  Inspector  General  of  the  Seven- 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  43 

teenth  Army  Corps,  and  as  Inspector  General  of  the 
Department  and  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  retaining  this 
latter  position  till  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
Inspector  General  of  the  "  Freedman's  Bureau,"  from 
May,  1865,  to  September,  1866,  when  he  was  mustered 
out,  with  the  rank  of  Brevet  Brigadier  General. 

The  sudden  and  exacting  demands  upon  the  Quar- 
termaster's Department  during  the  riots  of  July,  1877, 
found  Major  Coe  fully  prepared  for  all  emergencies,  and 
the  very  full  and  complete  inspection  records  of  Gen. 
Strong,  pointed  out  almost  to  a  man  the  forces  which 
could  be  relied  upon  for  effective  duty. 

The  several  commands  were  so  widely  scattered  that 
a  large  number  of  Assistant  Inspecting  Officers  were 
required,  and  these  were  appointed  as  they  became  nec- 
essary throughout  the  State. 

On  August  25,  1876,  Gen.  Strong  issued,  in  the  form 
of  General  Order  No.  2,  from  the  Brigade  Headquarters, 
full  instructions  for  a  thorough  inspection  of  the  entire 
Militia,  and  his  orders  were,  in  the  main,  carried  out  by 
the  Assistant  Inspectors.  His  consolidated  report  was 
the  first  document  of  the  kind  filed  in  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral's office  since  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  consid- 
ered of  so  much  interest  and  importance  that  it  was  set 
out  at  large  in  the  Biennial  Report  of  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral for  1875  and  1876.  (  Vide  pp.  23-43.) 

During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1876,  Gen.  Ducat 
made  many  visits  throughout  the  State,  for  the  purpose  of 
inspecting  and  reviewing  the  different  local  commands, 
and  he  was  everywhere  received  with  enthusiasm,  and 
encouraged  to  persevere  in  a  course  of  thorough  disci- 


44  HISTORY  OF   THE 

pline.  He  met  with  an  universal  desire  for  a  Militia  lu\v 
which  would  afford  a  revenue  sufficient  to  pay  for  the 
actual  necessities  of  the  service,  and  a  sanction  for  the 
enforcement  of  discipline,  and  he  was  urged  to  pre- 
pare a  Bill  for  the  next  Legislature. 

Acceding  to  these  wishes,  Commanding  officers  of 
Regiments  and  Battalions  were  requested  to  send  him 
memoranda  of  their  wants  and  suggestions  in  regard  to 
the  proposed  new  law;  and  a  copy  of  the  following  was 
sent  to  all  commands  in  the  State. 

"  CHICAGO.  Nov.  25,  1876. 
"  CIRCULAR  No.   i. 

"  The  following  officers  are  appointed  a  Commission  to 
frame  a  Military  Code  for  the  State  of  Illinois,  to  be  submitted 
to  the  consideration  of  the  next  Legislature,  to  wit : 

Col.  E.  A.  Otis,  Chief  of  Staff,  Chicago. 

Col.  John  Hough,  4th  Regt.  Inf.,  Peoria,  Ills. 

Col.  J.  W.  R.  Stambaugh,  3    Regt.  Inf.,  Sterling,  Ills. 

Col.  W.   D.   Richardson,  5th    " 

Col.  J.  T.  Torrence,  2d      "        "     Chicago. 

Lt.  Col.  W.  E.  Strong,  Inspector  General,  Chicago. 

Lt.  Col.  Geo.  I.  Waterman,  Asst.  Adjt.  Genl.,  Chicago. 

Lt.  Col.  Francis  Morgan,  Chief  of  Artillery,  Chicago. 

Lt.  Col.  James  Quirk,  2d  Regt.  Inf.,  Chicago. 

Capt.  Geo.  M.  Miller,  ist  Regt.  Light  Cav.,  Chicago. 

Capt.  Jas.  M.  DeWitt,  ist      "      Infty., 

Capt.    F.    B.    Davis,     ist  Regt.  Infty., 

Capt.  Chas.  Jernegan,   ist  Regt.  Infty., 

Lieut.  H.  O.  Collins,    A.  De  Camp, 

Lieut.  John  Lanigan,   2d  Regt.  Inf., 

Lieut.  W.  J.  Onahan,  Q.  M.  2d  Regt.  Inf., 

The  Commission  will  assemble  at  Parlor  No.  i,  Grand  Pa- 
cific Hotel,  on  Friday  evening,  the  ist  of  December,  at  eight 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARD.  45 

o'clock,  to  receive  suggestions  from  the  General  Commanding, 
and  others  who  are  interested  in  the  passage  of  appropriate  laws. 
The  Commission  will  report  the  result  of  their  deliberations,  on 
or  before  the  25th  of  December  next. 

"  By  command  of     ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT,  Brig.  Gcnl.  Coindg. 
GEO.  I.  WATERMAN, 

Lieut.  Col.  and  Ass/.  Adjt.  Gcnl. " 
""  Official  Copy  :         HOLDRIDGE  O.  COLLINS, 

Lieut,  and  A.  D.  C." 

A  personal  invitation  was  also  sent  to  Gen.  Hilliard 
requesting  his  presence  and  cooperation. 

There  was,  however,  no  general  response  to  this  cir- 
cular, the  attendance  being  limited  entirely  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Staff.  In  fact,  there  seemed  to  be  an  unani- 
mous disposition  among  all  subordinate  Commanders  to 
avoid  any  responsibility,  and  the  matter  was  left  entirely 
with  the  General,  not  a  single  officer  replying  to  his  re- 
quest for  advice  until  the  Bill  for  a  law  had  been  drawn, 
printed  and  introduced  into  the  Legislature. 

The  provisions  of  the  Code  were  agreed  upon  by 
Gen.  Ducat,  Col.  Waterman,  Gen.  Strong,  Major  Coe 
and  Lieut.  Collins  of  his  Staff,  after  many  and  anxious 
deliberations,  and  Lieut.  Collins  was  requested  to  draft 
a  Bill  for  an  act  revising  the  Military  Code,  embodying 
the  suggestions  of  these  gentlemen. 

Copies  of  the  Military  Codes  of  all  the  States  noted  for 
their  Militia  were  secured,  the  different  features  carefully 
compared,  and  liberal  extracts  were  made  from  such  as 
seemed  proper  for  the  status  in  Illinois.* 

*The  author  is  under  obligations  to  the  Adjutant  General*  of  Massachusetts. 
Connecticut,  Xc\v  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Michigan  and  Iowa,  for 
the  promptness  with  which  they  furnished  copies  of  the  Military  laws  and  regulation* 
of  their  respective  States,  while  he  was  engaged  in  drawing-  this  Bill  for  a  new  law  in 
Illinois. 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Incidental  to  the  preparation  of  this  Bill  was  the 
accumulation  of  a  large  mass  of  statistics  in  relation  to 
the  Militia  of  other  States,  which  was  used  with  great 
effect  before  a  joint  meeting  of  the  Military  Committees 
of  the  Senate  and  House,  in  February,  1877. 

The  following  circular  had  been  prepared  and  sent  to 
all  Military  organizations  in  the  State. 

"CHICAGO,  ILL.,  Oct.  15,  1876. 
To  the   members  of  all  organized  Companies  and  Battalions  of 

Illinois  Militia: 

"  GENTLEMEN, — In  view  of  the  approaching  State  election,  it 
has  been  thought  advisable  to  present  for  your  consideration  a 
few  suggestions  and  facts  in  regard  to  our  State  forces. 

"  It  cannot  but  be  known  to  all  of  you,  that  the  Militia  Law 
of  Illinois  is  entirely  inadequate  to  secure  an  effective  organi- 
zation, and  that  those  disciplined  troops  now  existing,  which 
can  be  relied  upon  in  an  emergency,  are  kept  up  entirely  by 
private  liberality  and  the  personal  exertions  of  individuals. 

"  The  only  aid  which  you  have  received  from  the  State 
consists  of  your  arms  and  equipments.  No  provisions  whatso- 
ever are  made  in  the  Statute  for  rent  of  Armory,  yearly  musters, 
camp  equipage  and  compensation  for  time  when  called  out  by 
General  Orders. 

"  At  the  last  session  of  our  Legislature,  a  Bill  was  intro- 
duced in  which  was  embodied  a  few  of  the  features  of  the 
Military  Codes  of  other  States,  but  owing  to  a  want  of  suf- 
ficient attention  or.  the  part  of  its  friends,  and  for  other  reasons, 
upon  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  dwell,  the  Bill  failed  to 
pass. 

"  At  our  next  Legislature  a  new  Militia  Bill  will  be  intro- 
duced, of  which  the  principle  features  will  be  a  yearly  appro- 
priation to  meet  the  expenses  for  rent  of  armories,  ordnance 
stores,  camp  equipage  and  transportation  of  all  Battalions  for 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL    GUARD.  47 

at  least  one  yearly  muster,  and  for  ammunition  and  a  Rifle  Range 
for  practice,  with  an  allowance  per  diem  for  every  man  who 
shall  turn  out  upon  order,  and  with  such  provisions  for  the 
perfection  of  discipline  as  may  secure  an  effective  and  credit- 
able soldiery. 

"  The  States  of  Massachusetts,  New  York,  Connecticut  and 
Pennsylvania,  each  of  which  can  have  a  fairly  organized  army 
in  the  field  on  twenty-four  hours  notice,  owe  the  excellence  of 
their  Militia  to  the  large  appropriations  and  the  fostering  care  of 
these  States. 

"  I  need  not  dwell  upon  the  necessity  of  a  better  Militia 
organization  in  Illinois,  for  it  is  plain  to  you  all.  In  case  of 
any  disturbance  or  riot,  especially  in  our  large  cities,  the  com- 
munity would  be  comparatively  helpless  and  at  the  mercy  of 
mob  violence,  but  for  the  individual  efforts  already  put  forth, 
which  cannot  much  longer  be  sustained  without  support. 

"  This  circular  is  sent  to  all  Commanders  of  Companies 
and  Battalions  throughout  the  State,  in  the  earnest  hope  that 
this  movement  will  have  the  hearty  co-operation  of  all.  If 
every  Company  throughout  Illinois,  as  a  body,  will  take  such 
action,  so  that  it  may  be  known  that  its  influence  will  be  given 
to  that  candidate  only  for  the  Legislature  who  will  pledge 
himself  to  support  a  new  Militia  Bill,  it  will  be  carried  by  an 
overwhelming  majority,  and  we  shall  enter  upon  an  entirely 
new  phase  of  Military  experience. 

"  The  General  commanding,  hopes  to  be  able  to  announce 
before  long  that  all  infantry  troops,  without  exception,  will  be 
armed  with  the  Government  breech-loader,  and  that  a  general 
muster  will  be  had  as  early  as  the  summer  of  1877. 

"  Relying  upon  you  thoroughly,  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
Very  Respectfully, 

Your  obedient  Servant, 

ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT, 

Brig.    General." 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Many  encouraging  replies  were  received,  and  a  large 
proportion  of  the  gentlemen  returned  as  members  of  the 
Legislature  in  the  November  election,  was  pledged  to 
vote  for  a  new  law. 

The  Thirtieth  General  Assembly  of  Illinois  was  con- 
vened at  Springfield  on  Monday  January  8, 1877,  a°d  upon 
final  organization  the  Committees  on  Military  Affairs  were 
as  follows: 

House — Henry  H.  Evans,  of  Kane,  Chairman  ;  E. 
K.  Westfall  and  Charles  H.  Whitaker,  of  McDonough  ; 
George  H.  Hollister,  of  Winnebago;  Peter  Philips,  of 
Franklin;  Wm.  H.  Woodard,  of  Jackson;  Cornelius 
Rourke,  of  Menard;  Wm.  T.  McCreery,  of  Schuyler,  and 
Wm.  H.  Thompson,  George  C.  Klehm  and  Arno  Voss, 
of  Cook. 

Senate — Martin  A.  DeLaney,  of  Cook,  Chairman  ; 
George  W.  Herdman,  of  Jersey;  O.  V.  Smith,  of  Law- 
rence; John  S.  Lee,  of  Peoria;  Bernard  Arntzen,  of 
Adams;  Luther  Dearborn,  of  Mason;  Charles  E.  Mc- 
Dowell, of  White;  John  T.  Morgan  of  Warren;  Henry 
D.  Dement,  of  Lee;  Albert  O.  Marshall,  of  Will;  Ben- 
jamin C.  Talliferro,  of  Mercer,  and  Miles  Kehoe  and 
Daniel  N.  Bash,  of  Cook. 

The  Bill  for  a  new  Militia  Code  having  received  the 
approval  of  many  gentlemen  of  thorough  military  experi- 
ence to  whom  it  had  been  submitted,  was  carefully  trans- 
cribed and  transmitted  to  the  Adjutant  General  in  the 

following  enclosure: 

"CHICAGO,  Dec.  21,   1876. 
"  CiENL.  H.  MILLIARD,  Adjutant  General : 

"  Dear  General, — Herewith  please  find  copy  of  proposed 
'  Military  Code '  for  the  State,  just  finished.  We  are  poor. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  49 

Can't  you  have  this  printed  as  a  Bill  ready  to  submit — copies 
enough  for  each  member  of  House  and  Senate  and  200  to 
spare,  and  very  much  oblige  us  ? 

"This  wants  to  be  done  just  as  soon  as  possible.  Please  let 
me  hear  from  you.     I  have  a  note  from  the  Governor  that  he 
will  meet  me  to-morrow.     I  am  doing  all  I  can.* 
Yours  as  ever, 

ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT, 

Brig.  Genl.   Comg." 

Gen.  Hilliard  delivered  the  Bill  to  Mr.  Joseph  J. 
Kearney,  of  Cook,  who  presented  it  to  the  House  on  Jan- 
uary 16,  1877,  when  it  was  referred  to  the  Committee  on 
Militia. 

The  Adjutant  General  was  dissatisfied  with  many  of 
the  provisions  of  the  proposed  law.  He  desired  to  have 
his  rank  raised  to  Major  General,  and  to  remain  Quarter- 
master General  and  Inspector  General,  as  under  the  old 
law.  In  his  letters  of  January  26th,  3oth  and  3ist,  1877,  he 
made  several  suggestions' for  amendments  and  changes, 
and  he  seemed  disposed  to  make  no  efforts  in  its  behalf 
unless  his  wishes  were  carried  out.  In  fact,  no  one  seemed 
to  take  any  further  interest  in  the  matter.  The  Committee 
failed  to  report  and  it  appeared  as  if  the  Bill  would  be 
"  buried  in  the  Committee." 

The  following  letter  was  written  by  Gen.  Ducat  : 

"  CHICAGO,  Feb.  i,  1877. 
"  GEN.  H.  MILLIARD,  Adjt.  Gen.  Illinois: 

"Dear  Sir,  —  Your  communications  of  Jan.  26,  Jan.  30 
and  Jan.  31,  were  duly  received,  and  as  it  appears  that  we 

*  The  author  has  now  in  his  possession  the  letter-press  copy  of  the  original  Bill 
forwarded  in  the  above  letter. 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE 

are  beginning  to  get  into  deep  water  in  regard  to  our  Militia 
Bill,  I  wish  to  make  a  few  suggestions,  so  that  you  may  under- 
stand the  position  I  take  in  this  matter,  and  that  we  may  not, 
while  desiring  the  same  end,  use  our  exertions  so  as  to  defeat 
the  end  sought,  by  a  lack  of  unity. 

"  Before  this  bill  was  drawn,  a  circular,  dated  Chicago, 
Nov.  25,  1876,  was  issued  by  me,  appointing  a  Commission, 
consisting  of  officers — ist,  from  my  Staff;  2d,  from  the  ist  Regi- 
ment ;  3d,  from  the  2d  Regiment ;  4th,  from  the  3d  Regimen  ; 
5th,  from  the  4th  Regiment;  6th,  from  the  5th  Regiment;  and 
yth,  from  the  Company  of  Cavalry  in  Chicago — to  meet  and 
draw  such  a  Bill,  or  furnish  suggestions  for  a  Bill  that  would 
be  satisfactory,  and,  as  near  as  possible,  meet  the  wishes  of 
these  organized  Regiments.  A  letter  was  sent  to  you,  inviting 
your  aid  and  counsel. 

"  Although  repeatedly  invited  and  urged  by  me  to  attend  to 
this  matter,  I  regret  to  say  that,  outside  of  my  personal  staff, 
not  one  of  the  gentlemen  appointed  paid  any  attention  to  the 
matter. 

"  There  was  nothing  left  for  me  to  do  but  to  get  up  a  Bill 
myself,  or  let  the  matter  entirely  go  by  default.  The  result 
was  that,  by  giving  my  personal  attention  to  the  matter,  and 
being  seconded  by  the  suggestions  of  my  staff,  I  fixed  upon  the 
present  bill,  now  in  your  hands. 

"  We  none  of  us  think  it  perfect.  On  the  contrary,  we  all 
recognize  that  it  is  far  from  what  we  need,  and  what  the  great 
State  of  Illinois  should  enact ;  but  the  point  is  to  get  something 
passed  as  an  entering  wedge,  which  can  be  amended  and  im- 
proved in  the  future. 

"  I  very  much  regret  to  learn  that  letters  have  been  sent  to 
members  of  the  Senate  and  House,  finding  fault  with  the  Bill 
and  insisting  upon  amendments ;  in  one  particular,  by  a  gen- 
tleman who  was  appointed  on  that  Commission,  and  who  failed 
to  give  me  any  suggestions  whatsoever. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  51 

"  A  point  is  made  that  a  per  diem  of  one  dollar,  at  least,  should 
be  made  for  each  man  while  in  encampment.  This  subject  was 
thoroughly  discussed  at  the  time  we  settled  upon  the  provis- 
ions of  the  Bill,  and  this  is  the  conclusion  at  which  we  arrived, 
viz.:  Suppose  that  at  the  next  encampment  we  have  10,000 
men  in  our  active  Militia.  It  will  cost  at  least  $20,000  to 
transport  to  and  from  encampment,  and  properly  feed  such 
a  number  for  six  days.  Suppose  you  pay  each  man  one  dollar 
per  cfey;  it  would  make  a  total  cost  for  feeding,  transportation 
and  pay,  of  $80,000,  of  which  $60,000  will  be  for  pay.  Now, 
while  six  dollars  will  not  amount  to  much  to  anyone  man,  if  we 
take  $60,000  out  of  our  Military  fund,  we  probably  will  have  noth- 
ing left  to  carry  on  the  other  necessary  portions  of  the  yearly 
duties.  I  cite  the  above  case  only  to  show  how  apt  some  per- 
sons are  to  rush  forward  with  amendments,  without  consid- 
ering the  matter. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  many  letters  suggesting  amendments 
have  been  written.  I  wish  to  say,  emphatically,  that  it  is  now 
too  late.  These  suggestions  should  have  been  made  before  ; 
and  just  as  sure  as  members  commence  loading  down  our  Bill 
with  amendments  from  different  Regiments,  just  so  sure  they 
will  sink  it  so  deep  that  it  will  never  rise  to  the  surface  again. 

"  The  greatest  pressure  should  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
House  and  Senate  to  pass  it  quietly,  without  stirring  up  any- 
feeling  from  the  Country  delegations,  and  to  get  it  through  as 
soon  as  possible. 

"  When  we  have  it  enacted  as  a  law,  then  come  forward 
with  amendments.  This  we  hope  and  expect  will  be  done. 
We  can  get  a  good  Bill  only  by  successive  and  repeated 
amendments.  Where  the  Bill  is  found  deficient  in  its  practical 
operations,  there  amend;  but  now, in  the  present  financial  con- 
dition of  the  country,  any  wrangle  over  the  Bill,  in  either  House 
or  Senate,  will  kill  the  appropriation. 

"  I  have  a  further  suggestion  to  make.     I   wish  you   would 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE 

get  the  Committees  of  the  Senate  and  House  to  fix  upon  a  day 
for  a  joint  meeting — any  time  will  suit  me,  except  Feb.  7, 
8  and  9 — at  which  time  I  will  come  to  Springfield  with  docu- 
ments and  statistics,  and  see  if  we  cannot  make  them  under- 
stand the  necessities  of  this  Bill. 

"  Mr.  Collins  is  now  engaged  upon  a  report  of  what  has  been 
done  in  New  York,  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  Pennsylvania 
and  Iowa;  and  I  think  the  figures  which  he  will  show  will  have 
a  good  effect  before  the  Committees.  I  shall  bring  down  with 
me  other  gentlemen  ;  and  if -we  can  persuade  these  Commit- 
tees to  recommend  our  Bill,  then  we  will  follow  out  your  sug- 
gestions, and  assemble  at  Springfield  a  large  delegation  of  offi- 
cers from  all  parts  of  the  State,  and  lobby  our  Bill  through. 

"  I  earnestly  beg  of  you  to  make  this  appointment  for  me, 
and  also  not  to  take  any  steps  without  letting  me  know  of  your 
purpose.  I  think  your  suggestion  of  a  meeting  of  officers  an 
excellent  one,  and  it  certainly  would  have  a  very  great  effect. 
But  the  work  must  be  done  before  the  Committees. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Yours  very  respectfully. 

ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT, 

Brig.  Gznural." 
"  HOLDRIDGE  O.  COLLINS,  A.  A.  G." 

Mr.  De  Laney,  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee 
on  Militia,  wrote  the  following  letter: 

"SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  22,  1877. 
H.  O.  Collins,  Esq.: 

"  Dear  Sir, — Who  is  attending  to  your  Military  Bill  in  the 
House?  It  should  be  pushed — if  not  it  will  fail  for  want  of 
time.  There  should  be  some  one  to  take  the  thing  in  charge.  . 

I  intend  to  do  all  I  can  for  the  Militia  Bill 

when  it  reaches  my  Committee. 

Yours  Resptfy., 

M.  A.  DE  LANKY." 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL    GUARD.  53 

Gen.  Ducat  immediately  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
Gen.  Hilliard: 

"CHICAGO,  Feb.  24,  1877. 

"  General:  [Quoting  Mr.  De  Laney's  letter.]  It  seems  hard 
after  all  our  labor  that  this  Bill  should  fail. 

"You  are  on  the  ground;  will  you  explain  the  present 
situation?  What  can  we  do  here?  We  have  written  a  Bill;  we 
have  communicated  with  every  officer  in  the  State  and  used  our 
personal  influence  with  Committees,  but  there  seems  to  be  no 
one  in  particular  to  have  charge  of  this  Bill. 
Yours  respectfully, 

ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT, 

Brig.    Geul. " 
GEN.  H.  MILLIARD,  A.  G., 

Springfield." 

As  no  assurance  of  any  progress  could  be  obtained, 
Gen.  Ducat  determined  to  take  the  matter  in  charge 
himself  and  see  what  could  be  done  by  a  personal  appeal 
to  the  Committees,  through  gentlemen  immediately  repre- 
senting him. 

In  the  meanwhile,  changes  had  been  made  upon  his 
Staff. 

In  January,  Col.  Otis  resigned,  and  Lieut.  Col.  George 
I.  Waterman  was  promoted  to  be  Colonel  and  Chief  of 
Staff.  Lieut.  Holdridge  O.  Collins  was  promoted  to  be 
Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  rice 
Waterman  promoted,  and  Samuel  Appleton,  late  Captain, 
First  Regiment,  was  appointed  First  Lieutenant,  and 
Aide-de-Camp,  vice  Collins  promoted. 

Gen.  Hilliard  finally  arranged  a  joint  meeting  of  the 
Committees  of  the  Senate  and  House,  and  Colonels 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Waterman  and  Collins  proceeded  to  Springfield,  where 
they  were  given  a  patient  hearing  February  28th. 

Their  representations  were  carefully  considered,  and 
the  Bill  was  subsequently  reported  back  to  the  House, 
with  the  favorable  recommendation  of  the  Committee. 
On  March  28,  it  was  ordered  to  its  second  reading,  after 
some  lively  skirmishing  and  opposition  on  the  part  of  its 
enemies,  in  which  Mr.  Watkins,  of  Pulaski,  particularly 
distinguished  himself  by  a  facetious  speech  in  support  of 
his  amendment,  that  each  Company  be  provided  with  250 
musicians. 

The  Bill  was  amended  and  changed  materially  in 
some  of  its  features,  but  was  finally  passed  on  April  i2th, 
owing  to  the  watchfulness  and  efficiency  of  Mr.  Evans, 
Mr.  Westfall  and  Mr.  Crocker,  and  it  went  to  the  Senate, 
where  Mr.  De  Laney  took  the  matter  in  charge,  and  his 
Committee  reported  back  the  Bill  on  April  2oth,  "  with 
the  recommendation  that  it  do  pass." 

Great  anxiety  about  the  fate  of  the  Bill  had  been  felt 
throughout  the  State,  more  particularly  in  Chicago,  and 
the  following  letter  from  Gen.  Hilliard  was  received  with 
great  satisfaction : 

"ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

SPRINGFIELD,  April  2ist,  1877. 
Col.  GEO.  I.  WATERMAN, 

86  La  Salle  St.,  Chicago: 

"  Colonel, — The  "  Bill  "  has  passed  ist  reading  in  the  Senate* 
was  considered  in  Committee  yesterday  and  ordered  printed  for 
a  2d  reading  early  next  week.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
if  the  Cook  County  Senators,  and  especially  Mr.  De  Laney, 
will  pull  together  and  urge  it  strongly,  and  bring  it  up  early 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  55 

next  week,  it  will  pass.  Have  them  urged  to  keep  off  all  amend- 
ments, but  to  pass  it  as  it  comes  from  the  House.  If  it  goes 
back  there,  it  may  catch  a  defeat.  It  is  all  cut  up  now  so  that 
"Collins  "  would  not  know  his  Bill,  but  the  tax  is  fixed  at  1-20 
of  a  mill,  and  if  it  passes  we  can  build  upon  it  hereafter. 

Yours  Respy, 

H.  HILLIARD." 

The  friendly  exertions  of  Senators  Lee  and  Bash,  and 
the  rulings  of  Senator  William  E.  Shutt  (whose  name  is 
indicative  of  the  summary  and  effectual  manner  with 

J 

which  he  strangled  all  dilatory  motions),  carried  the  Bill 
through  the  dangers  of  the  second  reading  on  May  8, 
and  on  May  14,  the  Bill  was  finally  passed,  receiving 
Governor  Cullom's  approval,  May  18,  and  it  went  into 
effect  the  following  July  i,  1877. 

The  enactment  of  the  Statute  was  announced  in  the 
following  order  : 

"  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS,  ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE. 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  May  25,  1877. 

"  The  Commander-in-Chief  congratulates  the  members  of 
the  Illinois  National  Guard,  on  the  passage  of  a  State  Military 
Code  by  the  Thirtieth  General  Assembly,  which  has  received 
the  Executive  sanction  and  is  therefore  a  law.  It  now  becomes 
your  duty  to  show  by  your  zeal  and  devotion  to  duty,  your 
disposition  to  satisfy  the  people  and  their  representatives  that 
this  favor  has  not  been  undeserved. 

Relying  on  your  fidelity,  the  Commander-in-Chief  is  confi- 
dent that  the  expectations  of  the  people  of  Illinois  will  not  be 
disappointed,  and  that  the  near  future  will  find  the  State  troops 
of  Illinois  in  a  position  of  proud  prominence  among  the  vol- 
unteer forces  of  the  Nation. 

By  order  of  the  Commander-in-Chief. 

H.   HILLIARD,  Adjutant  General." 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE 

One  of  the  principal  features  of  the  new  law  was  the 
assignment  of  the  entire  Militia  into  Three  Brigades, 
forming  one  Division,  the  command  of  which  was  given  to 
Gen  Ducat,  as  a  matter  of  course. 

He  received  official  notice  of  his  promotion  in  the 
following  communications : 

"  GENERAL  HEADQUARTERS,  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS. 
Adjutant  General's  Office. 

SPRINGFIELD,  July  yth,  1877. 
MAJOR  GEN.  A.  C.  DUCAT, 

Comdg.  Division,  I.   AT.    G.: 

"  GENERAL, — I  have  the  honor  to  say  that  you  have  this  day 
been  appointed  by  his  Excellency,  the  Governor  and  Com- 
mander-in-Chief,  Major  General  commanding  the  Division  of 
Illinois  National  Guards.  I  sincerely  congratulate  you,  and 
more  I  congratulate  the  National  Guard  of  this  State,  on  the 
certainty  that  the  policy  which  has  prevailed  heretofore  in  the 
management  of  Military  affairs  in  this  State,  is  to  be  carried  out 
in  the  future.  As  the  law  gives  you  the  selection  of  your  Staff 
very  properly,  you  are  requested  to  recommend  the  gentlemen 
whom  you  prefer  to  fill  the  positions,  when  I  shall  be  most 
happy  to  issue  the  necessary  Commissions.  Your  own  Com- 
mission will  be  forwarded  on  Monday. 

Very  Respy.  your  Obt.  Servt. 

H.   MILLIARD,    • 

Adjt.  Gen" 
"  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS, 

EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT, 

SPRINGFIELD,  July  9,  1877. 
GENL.  ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT, 

Chicago.  Ills.  : 

"  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  handing 
you  herewith  your  Commission  as  Major  General  Commanding 
Division  Illinois  National  Guard. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  57 

"Trusting  in  your  fidelity  to  the  interest  of  the  State  Militia, 
and  your  devotion  to  the  State  and  Nation,  I  am, 
With  Great  respect, 

Truly  yours, 

S.  M.  CULLOM." 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


IV. 


Tl?,e  IMYision,  and  the  Railroad  Riots  of  July, 

1877. 


New  Military  Code,  in  Section  i  of  Ar- 
ticle IV,  provided  that  the  Staff  of  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  should  consist  of  an  Adjutant 
General,  ranking  as  a  Major  General,  who 
should  also  be  ex-officio  Chief  of  Staff,  Com- 
missary General  and  Quartermaster  General, 
and  such  other  officers  as  he  might  think 
proper  to  appoint. 
With  a  liberal  interpretation  of  this  provision,  Gov. 
Cullom  selected  a  generous  staff,  which  would  have  been 
a  credit  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  combined 
forces  of  all  the  Russias.  The  following  gentlemen  we  re- 
commissioned: 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD. 


59 


Maj.  Gen.  Hiram  Milliard,  Adjt.  Gen.,  Springfield. 
Brig.  Gen.  Wm.  E.  Strong,  Inspector  Gen.,  Chicago. 

Saml.  B.  Sherer,  Chief  of  Cavalry,  Chicago. 
Elisha  B.  Hamilton,  Chief  of  Ordnance,  Chicago. 
Benson  Wood,  Judge  Advocate  Gen.,  Effingham. 
Rufus  S.  Lord,  Surgeon  Gen.,  Springfield. 
Louis  Schaffner,  Paymaster  Gen.,  Chicago. 
Colonel  Huntington  W.  Jackson,  Aide-de-Camp,  Chicago. 
"       Wm.  H.  Thompson, 
"       Ernst  F.  C.  Klokke 

"       Henry  H.  Evans,  Aurora. 

Benjamin  F.  Sheets,  Oregon. 

David  O.  Reid,  Moline. 

"•       Sylvester  W.  Munn,  Joliet. 

"       Edward  P.  Durell,  "  Vermont. 

"       Wm.  A.  Larimer,  Aledo. 

Wm.  H.  Edgar,  Jersey ville. 

Noble  B.  Wiggins,  "  Springfield. 

"       Wm.  J.  Pollock.  Ottawa. 

George  Scroggs,  Champaign. 

"       John  J.  Brenhalt,  Alton. 

Thomas  J.  Golden,  Marshall. 

"       Geo.  W.  Johns,  Fairfield. 

"       Willis  E.  Finch,  E.  St.  Louis 

Lieut.  Col.  Geo.  R.  Cannon,  Chicago. 

Major  H.  Sherman  Vail.  " 

"      Wm.  T.  Vandeveer,  Taylorville. 

Captain  James  M.  Rice,  Peoria. 

A.  M.  Trimble,  Ottawa. 

Geo.  W.  Akins,  Nashville. 

Reed  Jones,  Joliet. 

Harry  F.  White,  Nokomis. 

"       Edward  F.  Gale,  Chicago. 

First  Lieut.  Jerry  J.  Crowley, 
Second  Lieut.  Wm.  T.  Hall, 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Adjutant  General  and  Inspector  General  \vere 
the  only  officers  of  the  above  Staff  to  whom  particular 
allusion  was  made  in  the  Statute,  these  positions  being 
$ni  generis,  and  requiring  special  provisions. 

Under  the  old  law,  the  Adjutant  General  was  also  the 
Inspector  General,  but  now  the  Inspector  General's  de- 
partment was  created  upon  an  independent  basis,  and 
turned  over  to  the  exclusive  control  of  Brig.  Gen.  Strong. 
The  Major  General  was  given  an  Assistant  Inspector, 
with  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel,  but  as  Gen.  Strong,  by 
General  Order  No.  2,  under  date  July  n,  1877,  was 
assigned  for  duty  on  the  Division  Staff,  Gen.  Ducat 
regarded  the  office  of  Assistant  Inspector  as  superfluous, 
and  he  never  filled  the  vacancy. 

Gov.  Cullom  commissioned  the  following  gentlemen 
as  the  general  officers  commanding  the  Militia: 

MAJOR  GENERAL. 
ARTHUR  C    DUCAT,   Chicago. 

BRIGADIER  GENERALS. 

Joseph  T.  Torrence,  First  Brigade,  Chicago.  '   , . 

Erastus  N.  Bates,  Second  Brigade,  Springfield 
Charles  W.  Pavey,  Third  Brigade,  Mount  Vernon. 

The  first  Staff  of  the  Division  was  composed  of: 

Colonel  Geo.  I.  Waterman,  Chief  of  Staff. 

Brig.  Gen.  Wm.  E.  Strong,  by  assignment,  Inspector  Gen 

Lieut.  Col.  Holdridge  O.  Collins,  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen. 

"     Jerome  F.  Weeks,  Surgeon. 
Major  Albert  L.  Coe,  Quartermaster. 
"      Henry  B.  Maxwell,  Commissary. 
"      Henry  B.  Whitehouse,  Paymaster. 
Captain  Samuel  Appleton,  Aide-de-Camp. 
"      David  H.  Gile, 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  61 

The  position  of  Judge  Advocate  was  left  temporarily 
vacant.  Subsequently  changes  were  made,  and  at  the 
time  of  the  resignation  of  Gen.  Ducat,  in  June,  1879,  his 
Staff  was  composed  as  follows: 

Colonel  Percy  P.  Oldershaw,  Chief  of  Staff. 
Brig.  Gen.  Wm.  E.  Strong,  Inspector  General. 
Lieut.  Col.  Samuel  Appleton,  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen. 

"     Jerome  F.  Weeks,  Surgeon. 
Major  Albert  L.  Coe,  Quartermaster. 

"      Henry  B.  Maxwell,  Commissary. 

"      Henry  B.  Whitehouse,  Paymaster. 

"     Holdridge  O.  Collins,  Judge  Advocate. 

The  positions  of  Aides-de-Camp  being  also  vacant. 

In  the  original  draft  of  the  new  Military  Code,  the 
rank'  of  all  the  Staff  officers  of  the  Division  and  Brigades 
was  generally  modelled  after  the  New  York  Code,  and 
was  in  almost  every  case  higher  than  the  corresponding 
office  in  the  Regular  Army.  The  Legislature  became 
weaned  of  cutting  down,  trimming  and  amending  the 
Bill  when  progress  had  been  made  through  about  half  of 
its'-  provisions,  and  the  remainder  was  passed  without 
change  and  without  consideration  as  to  any  inconsist- 
encies that  might  exist.  The  rank  of  the  Division  Judge 
Advocate  in  the  Bill  as  introduced,  was  Colonel.  This  was 
reduced  to  Major,  and  the  result  was,  that  the  rank  of 
the  Brigade  Judge  Advocate  was  left  higher  bv  one 
grade  than  the  Division  Judge  Advocate,  and  the 
anomaly  was  created  of  a  Major  passing  upon  the  acts  of 
Lieutenant  Colonels. 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  following  officers  composed  the  Staffs  of  the 
several  Brigades: 

FIRST   BRIGADE. 

Lieut.  Col.  Henry  A.  Huntington,  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen.,  who  was 

succeeded  by  Geo.  R.  Cannon 
Lieut.  Col-  Elijah  B.  Sherman,  Judge  Advocate. 
Major  John  Lanigan,  Inspector. 
Major  Fernand  Henrotin,  Surgeon. 
Captain  Joseph  Kirkland,   Quartermaster,  who  was  succeeded 

by  William  C.  Lyon. 
Captain  Charles  H.  Taylor,  Commissary. 
First  Lieut.  W.  S.  Scribner,  Aide-de-Camp. 
First  Lieut.  Edward  T.  Sawyer,  Aide-de-Camp. 
All  of  Chicago. 

SECOND  BRIGADE. 

Lieut.  Col.  Jas.  F.  McNeil  1,  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen.,  Springfield,  suc- 
ceeded by  Jasper  N.  Reece. 

Lieut.  Col.  Orin  P.  Cooley,  Judge  Advocate,  Oneida. 
Major  Gustavus  S.  Dana,  Inspector,  Springfield. 
Major  Thomas  G.  Black,  Surgeon,  Clayton. 
Captain  Charles  F.  Mills,  Quartermaster,  Springfield. 
Captain  Wm.  F.  Smith,  Commissary, 
First  Lieut.  William   L.  Distin,  Aide-de-Camp,  Quincy. 

In  November,  1877,  Gen.  Bates  resigned,  and  Jasper 
N.  Reece  was  commissioned  Brigadier  General  of  the 
Second  Brigade.  He  made  but  few  changes  upon  his 
Staff,  retaining  the  same  gentlemen,  and  making  the  fol- 
lowing new  appointments: 

Lieut.  Col.  Chas.  F.  Mills,  Asst.  Adjt.  Gen.,  Springfield. 
Captain  George  C.  Cole,  Quartermaster,  Springfield. 
First  Lieut.  Christopher  Wolf,  Aide-de-Camp,  Springfield. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARD.  63 

THIRD  BRIGADE. 

Lieut.  Col.  Albion  F.  Taylor,  Asst.  Adj.  Gen.  Mt.  Yernon. 
Lieut.  Col.  Columbus  A.  Keller,  Judge  Advocate. 
Major  Robert  B.  Stinson,  Inspector,  Anna. 
Major  Augustus  De  Foe,  Surgeon,  McLeansboro. 
Captain  Wm.  Swanwick,  Quartermaster,  Chester. 
Captain  Daniel  Berry,  Commissary,  Carmi. 
First  Lieut.  John  B.  Crowder,  Aide-de-Camp,  Mt.   Yernon. 
First  Lieut.  Wm.  Hendrickson,  Aide-de-Camp,  Marion. 

The  Biennial  Report  of  the  Adjutant  General,  in 
January,  1877,  showed  that  when  Gen.  Ducat  was  ap- 
pointed Brigadier  General,  the  State  Militia  consisted  of 
895  men  only.  The  First  Regiment,  at  Chicago,  \vas 
the  only  Battalion  organization,  being  composed  of  eight 
Companies,  the  rest  of  the  force  being  members  of  inde- 
pendent, detached  and  unassigned  Companies. 

In  September,  1876,  Gen.  Ducat  had  organized  a 
Brigade,  composed  of  5,145  men  and  officers,  assigned 
to  Seven  Regiments,  three  Battalions  and  eight  de- 
tached Companies,  among  which  were  one  Company  of 
Cavalry,  at  Chicago,  and  one  Battery  of  two  pieces,  at 
Danville.  After  the  enactment  of  the  new  Code,  which 
imposed  a  tax  for  the  payment  of  the  most  necessary  ex- 
penses, the  existing  Regiments  were  rapidly  recruited  to 
a  maximum,  and  the  organization  of  other  Regiments 
and  Battalions  was  commenced. 

General  Order  No.  3  was  issued  from  the  Adjutant 
General's  Office,  under  date  July  n,  1877,  assigning  the 
forces  to  Brigades  as  follows : 

FIRST  BRIGADE. 

First,  Second,  Third,  Ninth  and  Tenth  Regiments  Infantry, 
Company  A,  Light  Cavalry,  Chicago,  and  Battery  A,  Danville 


64  HISTORY   OF   THE 

SECOND   BRIGADE. 

Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh  and  Eighth  Regiments  In- 
fantry. 

THIRD  BRIGADE. 

All  Companies  then  organized  and  in  process  of  or- 
ganization south  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad. 

These  preliminary  steps  for  carrying  out  the  provis- 
ions of  the  Code  had  scarcely  been  taken,  when  the  news 
of  the  terrible  reign  of  lawlessness  at  Pittsburg  and  Bal- 
timore, on  July  2ist  and  22d,  was  flashed  through  the 
State,  and  the  attention  of  the  entire  Country  became 
directed  to  Chicago,  as  the  great  center  of  the  vast  Rail- 
road system  of  the  Northwest.  There  was  a  very  gen- 
eral feeling  that  the  Railroads  had  acted  with  oppression 
towards  their  employes,  and  the  public  almost  universally 
sympathized  with  these  laborers  and  mechanics. 

It  was  evident  that  unless  the  troubles  were  checked 
at  this  point,  the  Country  would  be  thrown  into  a  revolu- 
tion. The  time  had  come  for  the  Militia  to  show 
whether  it  were  capable  of  the  stern  duty  and  exacting 
dicripline  of  the  soldier. 

Sunday  and  Monday,  July  22d  and  23d,  were  days  of 
feverish  uncertainty  and  repressed  excitement  at  Chicago, 
Peoria,  Galesburg  and  East  St.  Louis.  The  forces 
throughout  the  State  were  ordered  under  arms.  By 
prompt  action,  the  National  Blues,  Emmet  Guards  and 
Veteran  Guards,  undjsr  the  command  of  their  respective 
officers,  quelled  an  outbreak  at  Peoria  in  short  order, 
and  the  Emmet  Guards  proceeded  to  Galesburg,  where 
an  incipient  riot,  directed  against  the  Railroad  works, 
was  summarily  surpressed. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  65 

Gen.  Bates  took  personal  command  of  the  National 
Blues  and  Veteran  Guards  of  Peoria,  the  Taylorville 
Guards,  Morgan  Cadets  of  Jacksonville,  and  the  Veteran 
and  National  Guards  of  Quincy,  and  proceeded  to  East 
St.  Louis,  where  he  was  joined,  July  28th,  by  Gen. 
Puvey,  in  command  of  the  Belleville  Guards  and  Mt.Ver- 
non  Guards.  Governor  Cullom  was  present  at  this 
place  and  under  his  personal  direction,  by  the  exercise 
of  mild  firmness,  order  was  restored  in  a  very  dangerous 
community,  without  the  loss  of  life  or  property. 

Other  points  of  railroad  interests  —  La  Salle,  Mat- 
toon,  Pana,  Decatur,  Bloomington,  Streator  and  Altona 
-  were  fully  protected  by  the  local  Militia  Commands, 
and  Chicago  was  the  only  place  in  the  State  where  the 
situation  at  any  time  became  alarming. 

On  Monday,  July  23d,  the  entire  forces  in  Chicago, 
consisting  of  the  First  and  Second  Regiments  of  Infantry 
and  one  Company  of  Cavalry,  were  ordered  to  hold 
themselves  ready  for  instant  service.  The  Bohemian 
Guards  were  disarmed  and  ultimately  disbanded,  some 
of  their  officers  being  found  active  leaders  of  the  mob. 

The  following  despatch  was  received: 

"  SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  July  23,  1877. 
('•KN.  A.  C.  DUCAT  : 

"Under  the  charter  of  cities  and  towns,  the  Mayor,  subject 
to  the  Governor,  has  the  power  to  call  out  the  Militia.  Please 
confer  with  him. 

S.  M.  Cullom,  Governor" 

Gen.  Ducat  called  upon  Mayor  Monroe  Heath  and 
tendered  to  him  the  aid  of  the  entire  local  command. 
Mr.  Heath,  however,  declined  to  avail  himself  of  this 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE 

assistance,  stating  that  he  did  not  wish  the  troops  to  be 
seen  on  the  streets,  as  he  believed  the  disastrous  results 
of  the  riots  at  Pittsburgh,  were  owing  principally  to  the 
unwarranted  interference  of  the  Militia,  and  he  felt  con- 
fident of  being  able  to  suppress  all  disturbances  in  Chi- 
cago with  the  Police  force.  The  same  evening,  a  meet- 
ing of  workingmen  was  held  at  the  corner  of  Madison 
and  Market  streets,  at  which  the  Communistic  element 
predominated,  but  no  overt  act  of  violence  was  com- 
mitted. On  Tuesday  morning,  however,  mobs  began 
to  assemble  in  the  West  Division  on  Halsted,  Canal  and 
Kinzie  streets,  compelling  workingmen  in  the  lumber 
and  manufacturing  districts  to  quit  work.  These  labor- 
ers helped  to  swell  the  mobs,  and  nearly  the  entire  Police 
force  of  the  City  was  ordered  to  this  district. 

The  following  message  was  sent  in  the  morning: 

"CHICAGO,  July  24th,  1877. 
MAJ.  GEN.  H.  HILLIARD, 

Adjutant  General,  Springfield : 

"  I  don't  think  the  authorities  here  fully  appreciate  the  gravity 
of  the  situation.  Although  the  City  was  quiet  last  night  and  this 
morning,  I  believe  trouble  will  occur  here  about  to-morrow.  I 
recommend  the  immediate  concentration  of  State  troops  here 
that  can  be  spared  from  other  points,  including  the  Danville 
Battery.  The  Railroads  may  fail  us,  and  it  will  be  much  easier 
to  send  troops  out,  than  to  get  them  in.  Think  of  this.  I  be- 
lieve, with  the  example  of  other  cities  before  us,  this  action  is 
nothing  more  than  our  clear  duty.  Answer. 

DUCAT,  Major  General  Commanding. 

Mayor  Heath,  upon  being  informed  by  Gen.  Ducat  of 
the  proposed  movement,  stated  emphatically  that  he  did 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL    GUARD.  67 

not  think  it  necessary,  and  he  requested  that  no  more 
troops  be  brought  to  the  city.  Whereupon  the  following 
message  was  sent: 

'' CHICAGO,  July  24,  1877. 
To  MAJ.  GEN.  MILLIARD,  Springfield : 

"  Have  consulted  with  the  Mayor.  He  is  opposed  to  bringing 
in  troops.  Hold  th^m  ready,  nevertheless. 

DUCAT,  Maj ' .  Gen.  Commanding." 

The  entire  police  force  had  been  on  active  duty  over 
a  day,  fighting  the  mobs  in  the  West  Division.  All  the 
Station  houses  were  rilled  with  rioters  who  had  been 
arrested,  and  now  reports  came  that  the  police  were 
exhausted  and  were  being  overpowered  by  numbers. 

Up  to  Wednesday  the  25th,  the  Mayor  had  declined  to 
make  a  formal  call  for  the  use  of  the  troops,  but,  urged 
by  the  unwise  counsel  of  a  few  panic-stricken  citizens, 
who  were  large  property  owners,  he  made  frequent  verbal 
requests  that  the  forces  should  be  distributed  around  the 
city  and  suburbs  for  the  protection  of  individual  interests. 

Gen.  Ducat,  refused  to  divide  his  forces  into  small 
detachments,  or  to  permit  any  interference  with  his  com- 
mand. He  notified  the  Mayor  that  he  had  been  pre- 
pared to  disperse  all  mobs,  since  the  outbreak,  and  he 
would  move  the  instant  he  obtained  a  request  or  per- 
mission to  march  upon  the  streets;  but  he  was  the  judge 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Military  should  act,  and  he 
should  exercise  his  own  discretion  in  that  respect. 

Late  in  the  evening  of  the  25th,  it  became  evident  at 
Division  Headquarters  that  the  Civil  Authorities  were 
powerless  to  restore  order,  and  that  the  Mayor  would  be 
compelled  to  call  for  help. 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Gen.  Ducat  moved  the  Second  Regiment  from  its 
Armory  on  West  Jackson  street  to  the  Rock  Island 
Railroad  Depot,  and  the  First  Regiment  was  marched  to 
the  Exposition  Building,  both  these  places  being  more 
available  for  concerted  action  and  much  more  desirable 
for  the  health  of  the  troops,  suffering  as  they  were  from 
heat  in  their  armories.  The  troops  bivouacked  in  these 
buildings  for  the  night,  and  were  ready  for  the  speedy 
demand  which  was  made  for  their  services. 

Early  Thursday  morning  the  following  was  received : 

"  MAYOR'S  OFFICE, 
CHICAGO,  July  26,  1877. 
MAJOR  GENERAL  ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT: 

"  You  are  hereby  authorized  to  use  whatever  Military  you 
have  in  this  city  subject  to  your  command,  to  suppress  the 
riots  now  in  progress  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  subject  to  my 

orders. 

M.   HEATH,  Mayor." 

Immediately,  the  Second  Regiment,  commanded  by 
Lieut.  Col.  James  Quirk,  and  the  First  Regiment,  under 
the  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  S.  B.  Sherer  (Col.  McClurg 
being  at  this  time  in  Europe),  were  marched  to  the  heart 
of  the  riotous  district  in  the  West  Division,  and  during  the 
day  they  scattered  and  dispersed  all  the  mobs  and  riotous 
assemblages.  They  were  several  times  attacked,  and  under 
less  cool  Commanders,  the  day  might  have  had  a  bloodv 
ending,  as  both  commands  were  several  times  placed  in 
situations  where  a  volley  would  have  been  justified. 
Cols.  Quirk  and  Sherer,  however,  sternly  repressed  all 
firing,  the  bayonet  only  being  used,  and  the  sun  went 
down  without  the  loss  of  a  life  caused  by  the  Militia. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARD.  69 

Lute  in  the  afternoon,  the  Second  Regiment  was  stationed 
at  the  Halsted  Street  viaduct,  and  the  First  within  sup- 
porting distance,  on  Twelfth  Street,  near  the  river.  The 
two  Regiments  remained  on  duty  at  these  posts  all  night. 
Three  old  cannon  belonging  to  the  State,  had  been  found 
in  the  possession  of  the  City,  and  Col.  Bolton  hastily  or- 
ganized a  volunteer  Municipal  Battery,  which  did  excellent 
service.  One  gun  was  stationed  with  the  First  Regiment, 
so  as  to  command  the  Twelfth  Street  bridge,  and  a  second 
gun  was  annexed  to  Col.  Quirk's  command,  at  the  Six- 
teenth Street  viaduct.  The  First  Regiment  was  not  mo- 
lested after  dark,  but  an  attack  was  made  upon  the  Second 
during  the  night  by  a  mob,  which,  however,  was  dispersed 
by  two  volleys,  the  first  fired  at  9: 10  P.M.,  and  the  second 
at  10:  30  P.  M. 

On  Thursday,  the  26th,  six  companies  of  the  Ninth 
Infantry  and  two  companies  of  the  Twenty-second  Infantry 
U.  S.  Army,  arrived  in  Chicago.  They  were  stationed  at 
several  points  throughout  the  City,  and  at  the  Stock 
Yards,  and  their  presence  did  much  to  restore  confidence. 

In  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  the  27th,  all  disturbances 
in  the  City  having  ceased,  the  two  Regiments  were 
marched  back  to  their  temporary  armories,  and  Chicago 
resumed  her  wonted  peaceful  aspect. 

On  July  24th,  Gov.  Cullom  telegraphed  that  there 
was  trouble  brewing  among  the  miners  at  Braidwood, 
a  small  coal  mining  Station  on  the  Chicago  and  Alton 
Railroad. 

The  proprietors  of  the  mine  had  lately  imported  sev- 
eral hundred  negroes  from  the  South  as  laborers,  much 
to  the  dissatisfaction  of  a  large  foreign  element  which  had 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE 

been  theretofore  employed  in  the  mines,  and  they  seized 
upon  the  present  opportunity  to  rise  against  the  colored 
people,  and  by  July  28th,  they  had  driven  them,  with  their 
women  and  children,  from  their  homes,  refusing  to  allow 
them  to  return  even  to  obtain  food  and  clothing. 

About  5  o'clock  p.  M.,  on  July  27th,  peremptory  orders 
came  from  Gov.  Cullom,  to  send  a  strong  force  for 
their  protection,  and  Gen.  Ducat  immediately  made  his 
arrangements  to  go  in  person,  leaving  Gen.  Torrence 
with  the  Second  Regiment,  in  command  of  the  City.  At 
10  o'clock  P.  M.,  telegrams  were  sent  to  Col.  J.  W.  R. 
Stambaugh,  at  Sterling,  and  the  Commanding  officers  of 
Companies  of  his  Regiment,  to  report  immediately  at 
Chicago,  and  at  five  o'clock  next  morning,  the  Rockford, 
Creston,  La  Salle,  Sycamore  (2),  and  Aurora  Companies, 
with  Col.  Stambaugh  at  their  head,  presented  themselves 
at  Division  Headquarters  in  Chicago,  fully  armed  and 
equipped  for  service.  Regular  troops  with  transporta- 
tion facilities  could  not  have  acted  with  greater  despatch, 
and  Col.  Stambaugh  and  his  Third  Regiment  have  the 
credit  of  performing  the  neatest  act  of  soldiership  during 
the  troubles. 

The  First  and  Third  Regiments  were  embarked  on 
the  train,  and  leaving  Chicago  at  i  p.  M.,  on  Saturday, 
the  command  arrived  at  Braidwood  at  5  P.  M.,  having 
taken  up  at  Joliet  two  companies  of  the  Tenth  Battalion, 
under  Lieut.  Col.  Parsons,  and  the  Joliet  Battery  under 
Capt.  J.  Q.  A.  King. 

Short  work  was  made  with  the  riotous  elements  at 
Braidwood.  They  were  quickly  disarmed  and  dispersed; 
the  colored  people  were  restored  to  their  homes  and  usual 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  7. 

avocations,  and   furnished  with  rations  for  one  day  from 
the  Military  supplies,  as  the}'  were  entirely  destitute. 

Order  was  fully  established  by  Sunday  evening,  and 
on  Monday,  July  30,  leaving  a  small  detachment  of  the 
Tenth  Battalion  to  preserve  order  at  Braidwood,  the 
command  returned  to  Chicago,  and  was  dismissed  from 
further  duty,  all  disturbances  having  ceased  throughout 
the  State. 

The  following  General  Orders  were  published: 

"  GENERAL  HEADQUARTERS,  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS, 
ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE. 

SPRINGFIELD,  August  4,  1877. 
General  Orders  No.  7 . 

"  The  Commander-in-Chief  congratulates  the  Illinois  National 
Guard  on  the  restoration  of  law  and  order  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  State. 

"  To  the  Military  of  the  Commonwealth  is  due  the 
thanks  of  the  people  for  the  alacrity  with  which  they  obeyed 
the  summons  to  duty ;  and  the  zeal  which  characterized 
their  movements  has  been  the  subject  of  favorable  comment 
from  press  and  people.  As  an  important  factor  in  the  preser- 
vation of  the  peace,  you  have  fully  justified  the  hope  enter- 
tained by  your  friends,  and  established  a  just  right  to  future 
recognition  by  the  law  making  power  of  the  State. 

"  The  Commander-in-Chief  trusts  that  the  necessity  may 
never  again  arise  for  a  similar  use  of  the  power  of  the  State,  but 
should  it,  he  relies  confidently  on  your  courage  and  patriotism. 

"  By  order  of  the  Governor  and  Commander-in-Chief. 

H.  MILLIARD, 

Adjutant  General . " 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"  DIVISION  HEADQUARTERS,  ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD. 

CHICAGO,  August  6,  1877. 
General  Orders  No.  4. 

"  I.  Generals  Commanding  Brigades  of  the  Illinois 
National  Guard  will  issue  and  publish  an  order  dismissing  their 
troops  to  their  respective  homes. 

"  II.  General  Torrence  Commanding  the  First  Brigade 
will  hold  the  detachment  of  his  command  now  at  Braidwood,  at 
that  point  until  further  orders. 

"  III.  The  General  Commanding  the  Division  takes  great 
pleasure  and  pride  in  thanking  the  troops  in  the  name  of  the 
Governor  and  the  law  and  order  loving  people  of  the  State,  and 
in  his  own  behalf,  for  their  prompt  and  patriotic  response  to  the 
first  call  of  duty  which  has  been  made  apon  them  for  active  Mili- 
tary service  The  cheerful  and  courageous  obedience  to  all 
the  orders  given,  and  the  great  patience  manifested  under  the 
most  trying  circumstances,  have  made  them  worthy  the  pride  of 
every  good  citizen  of  the  State. 

"  The  troops  of  the  First  Brigade  came  more  immediately 
under  the  observation  of  the  General  Commanding,  and  he 
compliments  Gen.  Torrence,  upon  the  steady,  unwavering  and 
untiring  conduct  of  the  First  rnd  Second  Regiments,  and  for 
the  alacrity  with  which  the  Third  Regiment  and  Tenth  Bat- 
talion concentrated  and  reported  their  commands.  They  will 
be  appreciated. 

ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT, 

Major  General  Commanding, 
GEORGE  I.  WATERMAN, 

Colonel  d/i:/  Chief  of 
Official . 

HOLDRIDGE  O.  COLLINS, 

Lieut.  Col.  and  Ass t.  Adjt.  Gen." 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARD.  73 

The  public  attention  had  been  particularly  attracted 
toward  the  Militia  by  reason  of  its  good  service  during 
the  riots,  and  large  numbers  of  recruits  were  enlisted  all 
over  the  State. 

The  work  of  perfecting  the  organization  of  the  new 
Brigades  into  a  Division,  which  had  been  interrupted 
so  soon  after  the  law  went  into  effect,  was  now  resumed, 
and  carried  out  with  vigor.  In  Chicago,  three  new 
companies  of  Cavalry  were  raised,  forming  a  Battalion  of 
four  Companies,  commanded  by  Major  Dominick  Wel- 
ter, and  all  fully  armed  and  equipped,  with  an  ample 
provision,  by  private  subscription,  for  being  mounted 
when  called  upon  for  service,  and  two  Battalions  of  In- 
fantry were  recruited, — the  Sixth,  with  six  Companies, 
commanded  by  Lieut.  Col.  Moses  W.  Powell;  and  the  Six- 
teenth, colored,  of  four  Companies,  under  the  command 
of  Major  Theodore  C.  Hubbard. 

They  were  provided  with  uniforms  and  armories  by 
private  subscription,  the  State  furnishing  the  arms  and 
equipments. 

During  the  Summers  of  1877  and  1878,  many  other 
Regiments  and  Battalions  of  Infantry  were  successfully 
recruited  and  enrolled  throughout  the  State.  Two  addi- 
tional Batteries  of  Artillery  were  perfected — B,  at  Spring- 
field, under  Capt.  John  G.  Mack,  and  C,  at  Joliet,  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Mansfield  Young;  and  Gen.  Ducat 
made  great  exertions  to  obtain  a  Battery  at  Chicago. 
Gen.  Sheridan  very  kindly  interested  himself  in  the 
matter,  and  through  him  negotiations  were  commenced 
with  the  General  Government  at  Washington,  for  a  com- 
plete Battery,  consisting  of  two  three-inch  rifled  guns, 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ordnance  pattern;  four  twelve-pounder,  smooth-bore 
Napoleon  guns,  and  one  Gatling  gun,  calibre  forty-five. 
It  was  found,  however,  that  no  help  could  be  had  in  this 
quarter,  as  Illinois  had  already  overdrawn  her  quota  of 
arms,  and  the  authorities  refused  to  make  any  further 
advancement. 

Again  the  generosity  and  public  spirit  of  individuals 
stepped  forward  and  furnished  the  necessary  funds. 
L.  Z.  Leiter,  Esq.,  of  Chicago,  took  the  lead,  and 
through  his  means,  and  the  influence  of  the  Citizens' 
Association,  a  very  complete  and  satisfactory  Battery 
was  purchased,  consisting  of  four  twelve-pounder  Napo- 
leon guns,  and  one  Gatling  gun,  with  equipments,  of 
which  Maj.  Edgar  P.  Tobey  was  given  the  command. 

Gen.  Ducat  induced  all  the  Commands  to  unite  in  an 
effort  to  secure  a  large  General  Armory,  with  drill-sheds 
of  sufficient  size  to  permit  the  evolutions  of  a  Regiment; 
but,  although  plans  were  made  and  many  meetings  held, 
the  money  could  not  be  raised,  and  the  attempt  was  aban- 
doned. 

In  the  month  of  September,  1877,  the  first  general 
inspection  of  the  troops,  under  the  new  law,  was  made  ac- 
cording to  the  directions  of  Gen.  Sirong.  His  report  of  this 
inspection,  and  of  the  inspection  held  September,  1878, 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Biennial  Report  of  the  Adjutant 
General  for  1877  and  1878.  (  Vide  pp.  57-78.) 

In  October,  1877,  arose  the  first  occasion  to  make 
use  of  the  provisions  as  to  Courts  Martial. 

Special  order  No.  10,  from  Division  Headquarters, 
under  date  October  8th,  was  issued,  commanding  a 
Court  Martial  at  Altona,  Knox  Countv,  for  the  trial  of 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  75 

the  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  C,  Fourth  Regiment, 
upon  charges  and  specifications  duly  presented.  The 
Court  assembled  October  23d,  with  Maj.  William  Jack- 
son, Fourth  Regiment,  as  President;  and  after  a  careful 
consideration  of  the  case,  the  Lieutenant  was  sentenced 
to  be  cashiered,  which  sentence  was  approved  by  Gov. 
Cullom,  in  General  Court  Martial  Order,  No.  i,  dated 
Springfield,  December  17,  1877. 

In  the  perfecting  of  the  Division,  Gen.  Ducat  was  most 
materially  assisted  by  Colonels  C.  M.  Brazee,  Third  Regi- 
ment; William  Whitney,  Fourth  Regiment;  William 
Hanna,  Eighth  Regiment;  M.  H.  Peters,  Ninth  Regi- 
ment; J.  B.  Parsons,  Tenth  Regiment  ;  and  John  B. 
Fithian,  Twelfth  Regiment.  These  officers  brought 
their  several  commands  to  a  high  condition  of  discipline, 
which  gave  them  rank  among  the  first  in  the  State. 

Col.  Brazee,  of  Rockford,  by  his  untiring  labors,  has 
preserved  a  very  great  cordiality  of  feeling  between  men 
and  officers,  and  his  Regiment  is  invariably  unanimous 
on  all  questions  of  their  general  interest.  It  ranks  first 
in  numbers  and  second  in  drill  in  the  State. 

Colonels  Parsons  and  Fithian  carried  their  commands 
successfully  through  the  troubles  of  1877-1878,  caused 
by  the  lack  of  money  for  expenses,  and  the  repeated 
changes  in  the  Companies  forming  their  Regiments. 
In  reorganizing  the  Division,  one  of  the  principal  ob- 
jects aimed  at,  was  the  assignment  of  neighboring  Com- 
panies to  the  same  Regiment,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the 
complexion  of  many  commands  was  almost  entirely 
changed.  But  this  eventually  resulted  in  great  benefit, 
and  brought  about  a  more  united  feeling  in  the  respective 
Regiments  and  Battalions. 


76  HIS'TORY  OF  THE* 

The  weak  points  of  the  new  Code  soon  became  ap- 
parent. 

It  contained  some  inconsistences  and  the  annual  tax 
of  one-twentieth  of  a  mill  was  entirely  too  small  to  satisfy 
the  demands  of  the  service.  It  was  the  intention  to  fol- 
low the  example  of  New  York,  and  obtain  a  better  law 
by  gradual  amendments  for  larger  appropriations.  The 
tax  of  one  mill  asked  in  the  Bill,  as  introduced,  had  been 
reduced,  as  it  was  difficult  to  induce  "  the  Country  mem- 
bers" of  the  Legislature  to  vote  any  money  for  Militia 
purposes. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1877,  it  was  thought  best  to  call  a 
general  meeting  of  officers  to  discuss  the  matter,  and  a  cir- 
cular, dated  December  8,  1877,  was  issued  from  Spring- 
field by  a  committee  of  officers,  headed  by  Adjt.  Gen. 
Milliard,  and  Brig.  Gen.  Reece  of  the  Second  Brigade, 
suggesting  that  a  Convention  be  called  at  Springfield  the 
following  month. 

The  idea  met  with  universal  approval,  and  on  January 
15,  1878,  probably  the  largest  assembly  of  Militia  officers 
ever  held  in  Illinois,  was  called  to  order  by  Gen.  Hilliard 
in  the  Chamber  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Governor  Cullom  welcomed  them  in  a  very  graceful 
speech  of  congratulations  upon  their  successful  work,  and 
thanks  for  their  services  during  the  riots. 

Gen.  Ducat  was  elected  President,  with  Brig.  Gens. 
Torrence,  Pavey  and  Reece  as  Vice-Presidents. 

All  matters  pertaining  to  the  general  welfare  and  ad- 
vancement of  the  service  were  freely  discussed,  and  it  was 
decided  that  a  committee  should  be  selected  to  draw  a 
new  Bill  for  a  Militia  law,  embracing  the  points  deter- 
mined upon  by  the  Convention. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  77 

The  President  appointed  Gen.  Hilliard  chairman  of  this 
Committee,  with  power  to  nominate  the  other  members, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  Committee  as  appointed,  con- 
sisted of  Brig.  Gen.  William  E.  Strong,  .of  Chicago, 
Inspector  General ;  Brig,  Gen.  E.  B.  Hamilton,  of  Quincy, 
Chief  of  Ordnance;  Brig.  Gen.  Benson  Wood,  of  Effing- 
ham,  Judge  Advocate  General;  Major  R.  F.  Stinson,  of 
Anna,  Inspector  of  Second  Brigade ;  Lieut.  Col.  Jerome 
F.  Weeks,  Division  Surgeon,  and  Lieut.  Col.  E.  B.  Sher- 
man, Judge  Advocate  First  Brigade,  both  of  Chicago. 

In  the  Spring  of  1878,  Chicago  was  troubled  by  a 
threatened  outbreak  of  the  Communistic  element.  Infor- 
mation was  sent  to  Gen.  Ducat,  that  a  plan  had  been 
formed  to  seize  the  arms  of  the  First  and  Second  Regi- 
ments, and  burn  the  Exposition  Building  and  the  Railroad 
property  on  the  Lake  Shore.  Governor  Cullom  became 
satisfied  that  these  fears  were  not  groundless,  and  by  his 
direction,  a  guard  was  kept  up  during  the  months  of  April 
and  May.  The  Second  Regiment  abandoned  its  Armory 
on  West  Jackson  Street,  and  for  several  months  had  its 
home  at  the  North  End  of  the  Exposition  Building. 
Later  it  secured  another  Armory  on  Randolph  Street. 

During  the  Summer  of  1878,  the  Third  Regiment  was 
encamped  at  Sycamore,  the  Tenth  Battalion  at  Pontiac 
and  the  Twelfth  Battalion  at  Morris,  and  generally,  in- 
specting, reviewing,  drilling  and  instruction  in  rifle  practice 
were  the  order  of  the  day  all  over  the  State. 

The  Biennial  Report  of  the  Adjutant  General,  in 
January  1879,  showed  that  during  1877  and  1878,  the 
Division  had  been  organized  into  Three  Brigades  com- 
posed of  Eight  Regiments  of  Infantry,  Eight  Battalions 


7  S  HISTORY   OF   THE 

of  Infantry,  One  Battalion  of  Cavalry  and  Three  Batteries 
o  Artillery,  with  497  f^ield,  Staff  and  Line  Officers  and 
6,361  enlisted  men,  making  a  total  force  of  6,858,  including 
the  Comma/ider-in-Chief  and  Staff. 

The  Brigade  assignments  were  as  follow: 

FIRST  BRIGADE. 
Brig.  Gen.,  Joseph  T.  Torrence,  Chicago. 

FIRST  REGIMENT. 

Colonel,  Edgar  D.  Swain,  Chicago. 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  Rudolph  Williams,  Chicago. 
Major,  Edwin  B.  Knox,  Chicago. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  K. 
Forty  officers  and  488  enlisted  men. 

SECOND  REGIMENT. 

Colonel,  James  Quirk,  Chicago. 
Lieut.  Colonel,  Wm.  P.  Rend,  Chicago. 
Major,  Peter  J.  Hennessey,  Chicago. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G. 
Twenty-three  officers  and  358  enlisted  men. 

THIRD  REGIMENT. 

Colonel,  C.  M.  Brazee,  Rockford. 
Lieut:  Colonel,  T.  B.  Coulter,  Aurora. 
Major,  Oscar  W.  Phelps,  Sycamore. 
Companies  A,  B,   C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  K. 
Thirty-three  officers  and  527  enlisted  men. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  79 

SIXTH  BATTALION. 

Lieut.  Col.,  Moses  W.  Powell,  Chicago. 
Major,  Benjamin  R.  De Young,  Chicago. 
Companies   A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F. 
Nineteen  officers  and  233  enlisted  men. 

NINTH  BATTALION. 

Lieut.  Col.,  M.  H.  Peters,  Watseka. 
Major,  Amos  S.  Cowan,  Danville. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F. 
Twenty-one  officers  and  256  enlisted  men. 

TENTH  BATTALION. 

Lieut.  Col.,  J.  B.  Parsons,  Dwight. 
Major,  John  K.  Howard,  Odell. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F. 
Twenty-one  officers  and  309  enlisted  men. 

TWELFTH  BATTALION. 

Lieut.  Col.,  John  B.  Fithian,  Joliet. 
Major,  Win.  G.  Coulter,  La  Salle. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F. 
Twenty-one  officers  arid  259  enlisted  men. 

SIXTEENTH   (COLORED)   BATTALION. 

Major,  Theodore  C.  Hubbard,  Chicago. 

Companies  A  and  B,  of  Chicago,  Clark  County 
Guards,  of  Marshall,  and  Cumberland  County  Guards, 
of  Greenup. 

Eleven  officers  and  106  enlisted  men. 


So  HISTORY  OF   THE 

FIRST  BATTALION  CAVALRY, 

Major,  Dominick  Welter,  Chicago. 

Companies  A,  B,  C,  D. 

Twelve  officers  and  209  enlisted  men, 

ARTILLERY. 

"BATTERY  A. 

Captain,  Edwin  Winter,  Danville. 
Three  officers  and  48  enlisted  men, 

BATTERY  C. 

Captain,  Mansfield  Young,  Joliet. 
Three  officers  and  61  enlisted  men. 
Making  the  total  strength  of  the  Brigade,  203  officers; 
and  2,854  enlisted  men. 

SECOND  BRIGADE. 
Brig,  Gen.,  Jasper  N.  Reece,  Springfield. 

FOURTH  REGIMENT. 

Colonel,  Wm.  Whiting,  Altona. 
Lieut.  Colonel,  Wm.  Jackson,  Toulon. 
Major,  O.  L.  Higgins,  Oneida. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I. 
Twenty-eight  officers  and  378  enlisted  men. 

FIFTH  REGIMENT. 

Colonel,  James  H.  Barkley,  Springfield. 
Lieut.  Colonel,  Cornelius  Rourke,  Petersburg. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  81 

Major,  Jas.  F.  McNeil,  Springfield. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  K. 
Forty  officers  and  629  enlisted  men. 

ATTACHED. 

Decatur  Grenadiers,  Capt.,  C.  M.  Durfee. 

Virginia    Lippincott  Guards,    Capt.,    Wm.    Murray. 

Three  officers  and  59  enlisted   men. 

SEVENTH  REGIMENT. 

Colonel,  Isaac  Taylor,  Peoria. 

Lieut.  Colonel,  John  S.  Kirk,  Havana. 

Major,  K.  S.  Conklin,  Pekin. 

Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  K. 

Thirty-seven  officers  and  539  enlisted  men. 

EIGHTH  REGIMENT. 

Colonel,  Wm.  Hanna,  Keokuk  Junction. 
Lieut.  Colonel,  C.  S.  Hickman,  Quincy. 
Major,  C.  Y.  Long,  Carthage. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  K. 
Forty  officers  and  627  enlisted  men. 

ATTACHED. 
Pittsfield  Guards,  Capt.,  Wm.  N.  Shibley. 

FOURTEENTH  BATTALION. 

Lieut.  Col.,  Wm .  P.  Butler,  Rock  Island. 
Major,  J.  B.  Magill,  Moline. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E. 
Fifteen  officers  and   178  enlisted  men. 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE 

FIFTEENTH  BATTALION. 

Lieut.  Col.,  James  T.  Cooper,  Alton. 
Major,  Walter  E.  Carlin,  Jerseyville. 
Companies    A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F. 
Twenty-two  officers  and  374  enlisted  men. 

ARTILLERY. 

BATTERY  B. 

Captain,  John  G.  Mack,  Springfield. 
Total  force  of  Brigade,  185  officers  and  2,784  enlisted 
men. 

THIRD  BRIGADE. 
Brig.  Gen.,  Charles  W.  Pavey,  Mt.  Vernon. 

ELEVENTH  REGIMENT. 

Col.,  Cassimer  Andel,  Belleville. 
Lieut.  Col.,  Louis  Krughoff,  Nashville. 
Major,  James  Hitchcock,  Mt.  Vernon. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,   F,  G,   H,  I,  K. 
Twenty-seven  officers  and  464  enlisted  men. 

THIRTEENTH  BATTALION. 

Lieut.  Col.,  Archibald  Spring,  Olney. 
Major,  C.  C.  Wickersham,  Fairfield. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E. 
Fifteen  officers  and  259  enlisted  men. 

Total  strength,  42  officers  and  723  enlisted  men. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL   GUARD.  83 

Gen.  Hilliard  pays  the  following  tribute  to  Generals 
Strong  and  Ducat: 

"  To  Brig.  Gen.  Wm.  E.  Strong,  Inspector  General, 
I  feel  myself  highly  indebted,  and  while  the  effect  of  his 
labors,  which  are  more  fully  described  in  his  appended  report, 
may  not  at  present  be  apparent,  in  the  fullness  of  time,  the 
National  Guard  of  this  State  will  exhibit,  by  their  proficiency, 
the  greatness  of  the  work  which  he  has  performed." 

''  I  take  pleasure  in  acknowledging  the  eminent  services 
rendered  by  Maj.  Gen.  A.  C.  Ducat,  Commanding  the  Division, 
as  also  the  services  of  his  various  Staff  officers.  With  him  and 
them  my  intercourse  has  been  pleasant.  Their  assistance  and 
advice  has  been  constantly  at  my  disposal,  and  it  is  due  to 
them  for  me  to  say  that  they  have  rendered  your  Excellency, 
most  cheerfully,  their  hearty  aid  and  concurrence  in  the  work 
of  organization,  and  in  aiding  in  the  preservation  of  public 
tranquility."  (  Vide,  p.  12.) 

In  his  Biennial  message  to  the  Thirty-first  General 
Assembly,  Governor  Cullom  spoke  of  the  Militia  in  these 
terms  : 

"After  the  era  of  prosperity  which  followed  the  war,  there 
naturally  came  a  period  of  depression.  Hard  times  set  in,  and 
many  laboring  men  connected  with  Railroads,  and  manufacturing 
and  mining  establishments  were  thrown  out  of  work,  and  the 
wages  of  those  employed  were,  from  time  to  time,  reduced.  As 
a  result  of  this  condition  of  things,  they  became  restless  and 
dissatisfied;  disagreements  occurred,  and  frequent  strikes  fol- 
lowed. Finally  in  July,  1877,  the  quiet  of  the  people  was  sud- 
denly broken,  and  the  business  of  almost  the  whole  country 
was  stopped  by  assemblages  of  men,  who,  in  violation  and  de- 
fiance of  law  and  of  the  civil  authorities,  took  possession  of 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Railroads,  manufacturing  establishments  and  mines,  and  forced 
the  owners,  and  those  willing  and  eager  to  work,  to  stop  work 
and  submit  to  the  dictation  of  the  rioters. 

"  So  unlocked  for  were  these  occurrences,  that  few  of  the 
States  had  any  preparation  for  them.  At  some  places  there  was 
great  loss  of  life  and  property ;  but  in  our  own  State,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  sad  occurrences  of  one  day  in  the  Streets  of  Chicago, 
the  whole  record  of  suffering  and  loss  is  told  when  the  state- 
ment is  made  that  for  a  week,  many  of  the  Railroads,  mines 
and  manufacturing  establishments  were  under  the  rule  of  law- 
less men,  and  the  commerce  of  the  State  was  at  a  stand  still. 

"The  act  passed  by  the  last  General  Assembly,  in  1877, 
providing  for  the  organization  of  the  Militia,  had  been  in  force 
but  a  few.days,  and  nothing  had  been  done  under  it  to  organize 
the  Military  force  of  the  State.  There  was  no  adequate  pre- 
paration for  the  troubles  which  so  suddenly  came  upon  us. 
Every  military  company  in  the  State,  however,  whether  mustered 
into  service  or  not,  and  whether  armed  and  equipped  or  not — 
none  of  them  being  fully  equipped  for  active  duty — responded 
to  the  call  upon  them,  and  held  themselves  in  readiness  to  go 
wherever  ordered,  and  to  perform  any  duty,  as  soldiers,  which 
the  exigencies  of  the  time  demanded. 

"  Ammunition  was  procured  with  all  possible  dispatch,  and 
as  soon  as  the  National  Guard  could  reach  the  different  points 
in  the  State  where  the  rioters  were  interfering  with  labor,  and 
in  possession  of  Railroad  trains,  and  manufacturing  and  mining 
establishments,  all  unlawful  assemblages  were  dispersed  and 
business  resumed.  While  the  strike  and  riotous  lawlessness 
resulted  in  no  destruction  of  property  in  this  State,  it  cost  the 
State  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  besides  the  loss  sustained 
by  citizens,  in  the  interference  with  their  business. 

"  The  officers  and  men  of  the  Illinois  National  Guard  are 
entitled  to  the  heartiest  thanks  of  the  people  of  the  State  for 
their  prompt  and  efficient  service.  As  already  stated,  every 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  85 


Military  organization  in  the  State  was  called  to  duty,  and 
either  in  active   service,  or  at  its   Armory   waiting  orders,  for 
about  fifteen  days. 

"  The  Railway  trains  and  machine  shops  and  factories,  in 
Chicago,  Peoria,  Galesburg,  Decatur  and  East  St.  Louis,  were 
in  the  hands  of  the  mob,  as  well  as  the  mines  at  Braidwood, 
LaSalle,  and  some  other  places  ;  and  all  these  places  were 
urgently  demanding  a  Military  force  to  aid  the  civil  authorities 
in  their  efforts  to  preserve  the  peace  and  enforce  the  law. 

"A  Military  force  was  placed  on  duty  at  all  the  places 
named  above,  with  strict  orders  to  act  subordinate  to  and  in 
assistance  of  the  civil  authorities. 

"  Their  behaviour  throughout  was  unexceptionable  ..... 
The  occurrences  of  July,  1877,  gave  a  great  impetus  to  the 
organization  of  the  Militia,  under  the  existing  law  ...... 

"  The   suggestions  and  recommendations  of  the  Adjutant 
General,  in  relation  to  the  equipment  of  the  National  Guard, 
so  that  they  may  at  all  times  be  ready  for  active  duty,  the  build- 
ing of  a  new  State  Arsenal  and  the  sale  of  the  present  one,  I 
most  cordially  endorse  ......     The  experience  of  the  last 

two  years  confirms   my    views   expressed  to  the  Thirtieth  Gen- 
eral Assembly." 


86  HISTORY  OF  THE 


V. 


The  Militia  law  of 


IS  Has  been  intimated,  measures  were  adopted 
in  the  winter  of  1878,  looking  toward  the  se- 
curing of  amendments  to  the  Code  at  the  next 
Session  of  the  Legislature. 

The  Thirty-first  General  Assembly  was 
convened  at  Springfield,  on  Wednesday,  Jan- 
uary 8,  1879,  and  the  several  Military  Com- 
mittees of  the  House  and  Senate  were  appointed,  as 
follows : 

Senate-Sylvester  W.  Munn,  of  Joliet,  Chairman ;  Ben- 
jamin C.  Taliaferro,  of  Keithsburg;  Joseph  H.  Mayborne, 
of  Geneva;  Henry  D.  Dement,  of  Dixon;  Daniel  N.  Bash, 
and  Sylvester  Artley,  of  Chicago;  John  R.  Marshall,  of 
Yorkville;  Milton  M.  Ford,  of  Galva;  George  W.  Herd- 
man,  of  Jersey ville;  William  H.  Neece,  of  Macomb; 
Thomas  E.  Merritt,  of  Salem;  Samuel  L.  Cheaney,  of 
Harrisburg,  and  William  R.  Archer,  of  Pittsfield. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  87 

House — Anthony  R.  Mock,  of  Cambridge,  Chair- 
man; William  H.  Thompson  and  Elijah  B.  Sherman,  of 
Chicago;  David  H.  Harts,  of  Lincoln;  Matthew  H. 
Peters,  of  Watseka;  Henry  A.  Ewing,  of  Bloomington; 
William  L.  Gross,  of  Springfield;  John  R.  McFieofCoul- 
terville;  Jacob  Wheeler,  of  Havana;  Francis  Bovven,  of 
Sheridan;  Samuel  Mileham,  of  Camp  Point;  T.  Duane 
Hinckley,  of  Hoyleton;  Henry  M.  Lewis,  of  Berwick; 
Bernhart  F.  Weber,  of  Havelock  and  William  T.  Mc- 
Creery,  of  Birmingham. 

Several  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  House  Committee 
held  Commissions  in  the  National  Guard,  and  many  of 
the  Senators  had  promised  to  give  the  heartiest  support 
to  such  Bill  as  should  be  brought  forward  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Militia. 

Upon  the  election  of  Governor  Cullom,  Gen.  Hilliard 
became  desirous  of  being  re-appointed  Adjutant  General, 
and  he  asked  Gen.  Ducat's  favorable  services  in  his  be- 
half. They  were  cheerfully  rendered,  as  Gen.  Hilliard 
had  been  industrious  and  faithful  in  his  labors.  Gen. 
Ducat  made  a  personal  visit  to  the  Governor  elect  in 
November,  when  he  presented  the  claims  of  Gen.  Hil- 
liard, and  in  the  following  month  he  wrote  this  letter: 

"CHICAGO,  Dec.  2gth,  1876. 
"  HON.  SHELBY  M.  CULLOM,  Springfield,  Ills.: 

''''Dear  Sir, — Referring  to  our  meeting  at  the  Grand  Pacific: 
Hotel  last  November,  I  take  the  liberty  of  reminding  you  of  my 
opinion,  expressed  on  that  occasion,  of  the  services  of  Adjutant 
Genl.  Hilliard.  He  has  been  most  faithful  and  efficient  ir 
doing  all  he  could,  in  the  absence  of  any  good  military  code,  to 
organize,  with  the  slender  means  at  his  disposal,  our  State 


8S  HISTORY   OF   THE 

Militia,  and  infusing  into  it  the  proper  military  spirit  becoming 
an  orderly  and  peace-loving  people. 

"  Though  of  the  same  politics  as  yourself,  and  a  consistent, 
though  very  undemonstrative  supporter  of,  and  worker  for,  the 
Republican  party,  I  cannot  make  any  party  claim,  and  would 
not  if  I  could. 

"  I  desire  to  simply  say  to  you  that  I  think  the  continuation 
of  Genl.  Hilliard  in  the  office  of  Adjutant  Genl.  would  be  for 
the  good  of  the  Militia  service  of  the  State,  in  which  I  am  very 
deeply  interested,  with  other  gentlemen  of  my  Staff,  and  old 
military  friends  and  officers  of  the  State  Militia. 

"  I  shall  do  myself  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  attending  upon 
you  with  my  Staff  on  the  8th  prox. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obt.  servt., 

"  ARTHUR  C.  DUCAT,  Brig.  Genl.'' 

There  were  many  candidates  for  this  office,  and  these 
representations  of  Gen.  Ducat  had  great  weight  with 
Governor  Cullom,  in  the  selection  of  his  Adjutant  General. 

Gen.  Hilliard  was  reappointed,  and  he  remained 
Adjutant  General  of  Illinois,  until  the  Summer  of  1881, 
when  he  was  succeeded  bv  Gen.  Elliott. 

*/ 

The  Committee  appointed  by  the  Convention  of 
officers  had  held  three  meetings  only,  of  which  the  mem- 
bers from  the  First  Brigade  and  the  Division  Staff  had 
had  notice;  one  at  Chicago  during  the  Summer,  and  two 
at  Springfield,  one  on  October  14,  and  the  other  Novem- 
ber 20,  1878. 

On  this  last  occasion,  a  new  Code  was  written, 
embracing  all  the  features  desired  by  the  Militia  through- 
out the  State,  and  when  the  news  was  received  in  Chicago, 
that  Mr.  Mock,  Chairman  of  the  House  Committee,  had 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  89 

"  presented  a  voluminous  Bill  prepared  by  the  Convention 
of  Militia  officers  to  draw  up  a  Military  Code,"  it  was 
generally  supposed  of  course  that  it  was  the  Bill  from  the 
hands  of  the  Committee. 

The  friends  of  the  Militia  however,  very  quickly  dis- 
covered that  the  Code  proposed  by  Chairman  Mock  was 
entirely  different  from  the  provisions  of  the  Bill  prepared 
by  the  Militia  officers.  This  Code  made  a  radical  change 
in  the  command  of  the  troops.  It  abolished  the  office  of 
Major  General,  and  virtually  left  the  Adjutant  General  in 
Command,  as  it  directed  the  three  Brigadier  Generals  to 
report  directly  to  him. 

The  office  of  Adjutant  General  is  a  political  one.  He 
is  appointed  by  the  Governor,  and  is  subject  to  removal 
at  the  Governor's  option.  He  is  entitled  to  no  command. 
He  is  merely  the  Military  Secretary  or  Clerk  of  the 
Governor,  a  civil  officer.  His  clerical  duties  require  him 
to  attest  all  military  papers  of  State,  as  does  the  Secretary 
of  State  with  civil  papers,  and  Military  Commissions  and 
orders  are  sent  through  his  office  in  precisely  the  same 
manner  as  the  Commissions  of  Notary  Public,  and  other 
civil  offices  are  transmitted  from  the  office  of  Secretary 
of  State. 

This  Bill,  as  introduced,  left  the  rank  of  the  Adjutant 
General  as  Major  General,  and  was  "  not  only  in  opposi- 
tion to  all  the  principles  involved  in  correct  Military 
organization;  but  it  was  a  dangerous  accumulation  of 
power  in  the  hands  of  a  politician  —  for  such  would  be 
the  position  of  the  Adjutant  General,  in  case  this  Mon- 
strosity became  a  law." 

As  soon  as  the  nature  of  this  Bill    became   known, 


90  HISTORY   OF   THE 

there  was  a  general  protest  from  the  Militia.  The  papers 
throughout  the  State  exposed  the  measure,  and  the  Tribune, 
Times  and  Inter  Ocean,  of  Chicago,  were  united,  for  once, 
in  a  common  cause.  The  vehement  editorials  of  these 
papers  at  this  time,  show  that  there  prevailed  a  very  great 
indignation  over  the  character  of  this  proposed  law,  more 
particularly  in  Chicago  and  the  other  populous  sections  of 
the  State. 

Of  course  the  matter  was  represented  in  its  true  light 
to  individual  members  of  the  Legislature.  The  Citizens' 
Association  of  Chicago,  which  since  its  organization,  has 
been  constantly  on  the  watch  for  the  conservation  and 

•/ 

advancement  of  the  public  welfare,  caused  the  following 
petition  to  be  circulated  throughout  all  the  large  Cities  of 
the  State,  viz  : 

"  To  the  Members  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Illinois : 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  Citizens  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  have 
seen  during  the  past  two  years  the  friendly  and  successful 
efforts  of  the  Major  General  Commanding  the  Division  of  the 
Illinois  National  Guard,  and  the  Brigadier  Generals  Command- 
ing the  Brigades,  to  bring  the  Illinois  National  Guard  to  a  state 
of  commendable  efficiency. 

"  We  understand  a  bill  has  been  presented  to  the  Legisla- 
ture of  the  State  of  Illinois  providing  a  Military  Code  for 
the  State,  and  purporting  to  be  a  Bill  from  a  Committee  of 
the  Officers  of  the  Illinois  National  Guard,  legislating  out 
of  Office  the  Major  General  Commanding  the  Division,  and  in 
no  manner  fairly  representing  the  views  of  that  Committee,  nor 
those  of  the  officers  and  men  composing  the  National  Guard, 
nor  of  the  Citizens  interested  in  its  well  being. 

"  That  we  hereby  desire  to  remonstrate  against  any  Bill 
abolishing  the  Office  of  Major  General  Commanding  the 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  91 

Division  of  the  Illinois  National  Guard,  and  placing  his  author- 
ity in  the  Adjutant  General,  an  officer  appointed  by  the  Gov- 
ernor and  removable  at  his  will,  as  being  unmilitary  and 
calculated  to  destroy  the  efficiency  of  the  Illinois  National 
Guard. 

"  That  the  introduction  of  any  such  measure  looking  to  the 
aggrandizement  of  the  Adjutant  General,  will  result  in  the 
defeat  of  an  improved  Military  Code,  so  much  needed  to  secure 
the  safety  and  welfare  of  the  State. 

"  We  therefore  petition  your  honorable  body  to  retain  the 
Office  of  Major  General  Commanding  the  Division, and  to  reduce 
the  rank  of  the  Adjutant  General  from  Major  General  to  that 
of  Colonel,  and  that  the  pay  of  said  Officer  be  $1,500  per  year, 
as  we  are  credibly  informed  that  Officers  and  gentlemen  of 
National  reputation  can  be  found  to  occupy  said  position  for 
that  sum." 

This  document  was  signed  by  so  large  a  number  of 
the  tax-paying  citizens  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  that 
it  could  not  very  well  be  ignored;  and  a  joint-meeting 
of  the  Military  Committees  was  held  Febuary  nth,  at 
which  a  Sub-Committee,  consisting  of  two  from  the 
the  Senate,  Munn  and  Bash,  and  three  from  the  House, 
Mock,  Sherman  and  Harts,  was  appointed,  to  convene  at 
the  Grand  Pacific  Hotel  in  Chicago,  on  Monday  after- 
noon, February  lyth,  to  hear  and  consider  such  sugges- 
tions as  might  be  offered  by  those  interested  in  the  new 
Militia  Bill,  and  word  was  sent  officially  to  the  Division, 
Brigade  and  Regimental  Headquarters  of  the  action  of 
the  Committee. 

Col.  Appleton,  without  delay,  notified  all  of  the  offi- 
cers of  the  forces  in  Chicago  to  assemble  at  Division 
Headquarters,  on  February  i2th;  and  at  the  time  speci- 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE 

fied,  all  of  the  Chicago  Commands  were  represented, 
many  interested  citizens  being  also  in  attendance;  and 
the  work  of  settling  upon  the  terms  of  a  new  Bill  was 
taken  up  without  delay.  Meetings  were  held  on  February 
I2th,  i3th,  i/j-th  and  i$th;  and  at  length,  provisions  satis- 
factory to  all  were  agreed  upon,  and  the  Division  Judge 
Advocate  was  requested  to  draw  the  bill,  so  that  it  might 
be  ready  for  the  Legislative  Sub-Committee. 

On  Monday,  February  iyth,  Messrs.  Munn  and  Bash 
of  the  Senate,  and  Mock,  Sherman  and  Harts  of  the 
House,  received  the  Militia  delegation  in  the  parlor  of 
the  Grand  Pacific  Hotel.  There  were  present,  Brig. 
Gen.  William  E.  Strong,  Inspector  General;  Brig.  Gen. 
Samuel  B.  Sherer,  Chief  of  Cavalry;  Brig.  Gen.  Lewis 
Schaffner,  Paymaster  General  and  Col.  William  H. 
Thompson,  Aide-de-Camp,  of  the  Govenor's  Staff — Brig. 
Gen.  J.  T.  Torrence  of  First  Brigade,  and  Lieut.  Col. 
George  R.  Cannon,  Assistant  Adjutant-General;  Major 
John  Lanigan,  Assistant  Inspector;  Major  Fernand 
Henrotin,  Surgeon,  and  Lieutenant  Edward  T.  Sawyer, 
Aide-de-Camp  of  his  Staff — Col.  E.  D.  Swain,  Major  E. 
B.  Knox,  Major  Truman  W.  Miller,  Surgeon;  Capt. 
Chas.  R.  E.  Koch,  and  Quartermaster  John  D.  Bangs 
of  the  First  Regiment — Col.  James  Quirk,  Major  Peter 
J.  Hennessey  and  Adjt.  John  McKeough  of  the  Second 
Regiment — Major  Dominick  Welter  and  Capts.  William 
S.  Brackett  and  H.  H.  Anderson,  First  Regiment  of 
Cavalry — Lieut.  Col.  Moses  W.  Powell  and  Major  B.  R. 
DeYoung  of  the  Sixth  Battalion — Lieut.  Col.  John  B. 
Fithian  of  the  Twelfth  Battalion  —  Major  Gen.  A.  C. 
Ducat,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Samuel  Appleton,  Assistant 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL    GUARD.  93 

Adjutant-General;  Lieut.  Col.  Jerome  F.  Weeks,  Sur- 
geon; Major  Albert  L.  Coe,  Quartermaster  and  Major 
Holdridge  O.  Collins,  Division  Judge  Advocate,  of  his 
Staff. 

A  large  delegation  of  the  Citizens'  Association,  headed 
by  Col.  John  Mason  Loomis,  George  M.  How  and  C. 
M.  Henderson,  was  also  on  hand. 

Col.  Swain,  on  behalf  of  the  officers  present,  made  a 
concise  statement  of  the  position  of  the  Militia,  and  pre- 
sented to  Senator  Munn  the  new  Bill  for  a  law,  requesting 
him  to  introduce  it  to  the  Legislature.  Col.  Loomis  and 
Mr.  Henderson  presented  the  views  of  the  Citizens1 
Association,  and  urged  the  committee  to  impress  upon 
the  Legislature  the  necessity  of  a  new  law,  and  the 
danger  of  allowing  the  Militia  to  be  controlled  by  political 
leaders  and  party  factions. 

This  Bill  was  printed  at  large  in  the  Chicago  papers 
of  February  i8th,  with  comments  of  hearty  approval. 

The  Sub-Committee  remained  three  days  in  Chicago, 
examining  into  the  condition  and  wants  of  the  Militia,  and 
upon  their  return  to  Springfield,  they  reported  back  to  the 
Joint  Committee,  recommending  the  adoption  of  this  Bill, 
received  at  Chicago,  and  on  March  5th,  Mr.  Munn  intro- 
duced it  into  the  Senate. 

It  was  referred  to  the  proper  Committee,  but  nothing 
was  afterwards  heard  of  it. 

The  Bill  in  the  House  received  a  sudden  impetus 
upon  the  news  of  a  great  Communistic  parade  in  Chicago, 
on  Sunday,  April  2oth,  the  anniversary  of  the  Paris 
Commune.  There  were  several  thousand  men  in  line,  of 
whom  twelve  hundred  had  been  uniformed,  drilled  and 


94  HISTORY  OF  THE 

organized  into  Companies  and  Battalions.  Of  these,  four 
hundred  were  armed  with  the  latest  and  most  improved 
model  of  breech-loading  rifles,  and  their  discipline  and 
soldierly  march  showed  that  in  a  peaceable  community,  a 
small  army  had  been  secretly  formed,  composed  of  the 
worst  elements  of  a  large  foreign  population,  whose 
openly  expressed  object  was  the  disruption  of  all  existing 
social  and  political  institutions.  They  were  composed 
principally  of  Bohemians,  Poles  and  Scandinavians  of 
the  Socialist  taint.  Their  banners  were  the  red  and 
black  flags,  and  the  numerous  mottoes  were  directed 
more  particularly  against  the  passage  of  any  Militia  law. 

"  Never  before,  in  the  history  of  civilized  communities,  did 
400  men,  armed  with  breech-loading  rifles  and  fixed  bayonets, 
parade  the  peaceful  streets  of  a  great  city,  in  order,  as  they 
express  it,  '  to  show  the  Legislature  and  people  of  Chicago  what 
they  can  do.'  The  parade  was  a  threat.  It  was  a  threat 
against  law,  order,  decency,  life  and  property.  It  was  a 
menace  to  the  liberty  which  all  men  love — a  declaration  of 
war  against  all  that  honest  men  hold  sacred." 

Section  5,  of  Article  XI,  of  the  House 
iting~trie~ drill,  organization  or  parade  of  any  armed  body, 
15TrTer  than  the  Militia,  was  now  its  principal  feature. 
The  attention  of  the  Legislature  became  centered  upon 
that  clause,  and  losing  sight  of  the  other  portions  of  the 
Bill,  by  an  extraordinary  revolution  in  the  sentiment  of  the 
House,  which  was  brought  about  by  this  armed  Commu- 
nistic demonstration  in  Chicago,  three  days  afterwards, 
on  April  23d,  the  Bill  was  passed  by  a  vote  of  100  to  37, 
and  sent  to  the  Senate,  where  it  was  finally  passed,  with 
a  few  immaterial  amendments,  on  May  22d,  by  a  vote  of 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  95 

31  to  10.  The  House  concurred  in  the  Senate  amend- 
ments, and  the  Act  was  approved  by  Governor  Cullom, 
and  went  into  effect  the  following  first  of  July,  1879. 

The  Legislature  at  this  session  also  appropriated  a 
liberal  amount  for  the  payment  of  the  Militia  and  all  ex- 
penses incurred  during  the  riots  of  Julv,  1877. 

In  June,  1879,  Just  ^our  years  from  the  date  of  his 
appointment  as  Brigadier  General  by  Gov.  Beveridge, 
Gen.  Ducat  resigned  his  commission  as  Major  General, 
and  with  his  Staff  retired  from  the  Military  service  of 

• 

the  State. 

During  the  time  he  was  in  command,  the  greatest 
cordiality  prevailed  between  himself  and  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  different  Regiments  and  Brigades.  Many  of 
them  had  fought  with  him  through  the  campaigns  of  t  he 
war,  and  the_\-  were  quick  to  seize  upon  his  ideas  for  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Militia,  and  they  afforded  him  assistance 
without  which  his  labors  had  been  futile. 

The  general  rules  for  the  government  of  the  Militia. 
established  by  him,  have  been  practically  adopted  in  the 
Adjutant  General's  department,  and  their  influence  will 
be  felt  in  the  control  of  the  troops,  as  long  as  our  present 
system  of  State  Militia  shall  exist. 

To  General  Strong  is  due  the  credit  of  having  inau- 
gurated as  complete  an  Inspection  service  as  existed  in 
anv  State  of  the  Union;  and  the  establishment  of  a  regu- 
lar course  of  rifle  practice  and  competition  for  rewards, 
was  owing  entirely  to  that  peculiar  characteristic  of  his, 
denominated  by  Tristram  Shandy  as  "  perseverance  in  a 
good  cause  and  obstinacy  in  a  bad  one."  Although  he, 
also,  lias  retired,  the  regulations  which  he  inaugurated 


96  HISTORY  OF   THE 

are  now  in  force,  modified  to  suit  the  present  form  of 
independent  Brigade  Commands. 

The  usefulness  of  a  well  trained  and  reliable  Militia, 
was  practically  demonstrated  to  the  Citizens  of  this 
State,  by  the  preservation  of  millions  of  dollars  in  Rail- 
road, Mining  and  Manufacturing  interests,  and  the  prompt 
suppression  of  disorder  in  July,  1877.  And  Illinois,  free 
from  debt,  with  resources  unlimited,  can  well  afford  to 
extend  a  liberal  hand  for  the  maintenance  of  an  executive 
power  which  will  always  be  prompt,  obedient,  faithful 
and  patriotic. 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  97 


VI. 


Appendix. 


I  SHORT  Statement  of  what  has  been  done 
for  the  home  Military  service  in  other  States, 
may  be  of  interest. 

The    tax    of    one    mill,    asked    from    our 

i  Legislature  in  1877,  which  was  reduced  to 
<5K    one-twentieth  of    a  mill,  was  based    upon  a 
comparison  of    the    appropriations    made   in 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York  and  Pennsylvania 
in  1876,  somewhat  modified,  in  view  of  the  well  known 
difficulty  in  obtaining  an  appropriation  from  the  Repre- 
sentatives of  a  people  largely  agricultural. 

In  Massachusetts,  the  number  of  men  in  active  service, 
including  officers,  was  3,762,  but  the  maximum  allowed 
bylaw  was  4,134.  The  estimates,  which  were  approved, 
for  1877,  based  upon  the  maximum  force,  were  $157,480. 
This  sum  was  to  be  expended  for  pay  of  troops,  trans- 
portation, rifle-range,  pits  and  targets,  horses,  clerical  hire 
and  Headquarter  expenses. 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Connecticut  has  a  force  of  2,500,  composing  one 
Brigade  of  four  Regiments,  commanded  by  a  Brigadier 
General.  They  have  a  regular  military  fund  aggregating 
$80,000  per  year,  collected  from  those  liable  to  military 
duty  by  a  tax  of  $2.00  per  year.  In  1876,  the  State  ex- 
pended $40,000  for  pay  of  men  and  officers,  each  at  $2.00 
per  day  when  on  regular  duty;  $19,000  for  Armories, 
rents,  care  of  arms,  etc.,  and  $14,000  for  transportation 
to  the  Centennial  Exposition,  as  the  regular  encampment 
of  the  entire  Brigade  took  place  at  Philadelphia  at  the 
expense  of  the  State.  The  usual  expenses  for  transpor- 
tation, at  the  Annual  Brigade  encampment  amount  to 
about  $5,000.  The  State  allows  twenty-five  dollars  every 
five  years  to  each  non-commissioned  officer  and  private 
for  a  uniform,  and  in  addition  to  that,  overcoats,  knap- 
sacks, blankets  and  equipments  are  provided. 

Pennsylvania  allowed  $400  per  annum  for  each  Com- 
pany, to  be  distributed  among  the  members,  and  the  fur- 
ther sum  of  $100  for  payment  of  armory  rent.  In  towns 
having  a  population  exceeding  15,000,  each  Company  was 
paid  $200  for  armory  rent.  In  1874,  there  were  158 
Companies,  to  whom  were  paid  $86,300;  in  1875,  there 
were  184  Companies  to  whom  were  paid  $100,000,  and 
in  1876,  172  Companies  received  $93,000. 

In  each  of  the  years  indicated,  Companies  which  failed 
to  reach  the  required  standard  for  efficiency,  discipline 
and  drill,  were  not  paid.  The  number  of  Companies 
limited  by  law  was  200,  and  the  minimum  number  for 
each  Company  was  forty  enlisted  men  and  three  Com- 
missioned officers. 

In  New  York  the  appropriations  have  been  as  follow, 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD.  99 

viz:  1876,  $275,000;  1877,  $300,000;  1878,  $350,000: 
1879,  $35°5°oo>  and  since,  $300,000  annually.  These 
amounts  have  been  paid  out  for  the  current  expenses  of  the 
command.  All  of  the  larger  Cities  have  beautiful  and 
commodious  armories,  magazines  and  other  buildings, 
erected  by  public  taxation  and  used  by  the  State  Militia 
for  military  purposes  only. 

In  Illinois,  the  following  amounts  have  been  levied  and 
collected  for  military  purposes  since  the  enactment  of  the 
law  of  1877: 

On  assessment  for  the  year  1877,  $41,850  88. 

"      "  "  i8?8,  63,69495- 

"      "  "  1879,  70,952  54- 

"      "  "  1880,  71,280  41. 

"       •'  •'  1881,  72,092  51. 

"      "  "  1882,  73,173  43. 

In  1883  the  General  Assembly  appropriated  for  ex- 
penses of  the  National  Guard,  $75,000  per  annum. 

The  amounts  expended  in  Illinois  have  been  very 
small  compared  to  the  appropriations  of  other  States, 
while  the  necessities  for  a  strong  military  force,  owing 
to  her  geographical  position,  her  rapidly  increasing  Man- 
ufacturing and  Railroad  interests,  and  the  cosmopolitan 
character  of  her  citizens,  are  certainly  as  great  as  those 
of  any  other  Commonwealth  of  the  Nation. 

Illinois  should  have  at  least  ten  thousand  men  enrolled 
in  twenty  Regiments  of  Infantry,  of  which  three  should 
be  at  Chicago,  with  one  full  Regiment  of  Cavalry. 

Each  Regiment  of  Infantry  should  have  a  Gatling 
gun,  manned  by  a  special  detail,  and  there  should  be  at 
least  four  complete  Batteries  of  three  Napoleon  guns 


ioo  HISTORY  OF   THE 

each;  one  at  Chicago,  one  at  Quincy,  one  at  Springfield, 
and  one  at  Cairo,  with  an  additional  three  inch  rifled 
gun  at  Quincy  and  Cairo. 

Spacious  and  convenient  State  Arsenals  and  Maga- 
zines should  be  erected  at  Chicago,  Quincy,  Peoria, 
Springfield  and  Cairo,  with  an  ample  provision  for  ade- 
quate supplies  of  ammunition  for  target  practice. 

There  should  be  an  intermediate  sole  Commander 
between  the  troops  and  the  Adjutant  General  of  the 
State,  whether  it  be  a  Brigadier  General  commanding 
the  entire  force  in  one  Brigade,  similar  to  the  Connecticut 
plan,  or  a  Major  General  in  charge  of  'a  Division  with 
two  or  more  Brigades,  as  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York. 

The  entire  reports  from  all  the  troops  in  the  State 
should  be  sent  to  one  General  Commanding  officer,  by 
whom  they  would  be  duly  forwarded  to  the  Adjutant 
General  of  the  State,  with  proper  recommendations. 

The  present  system  of  independent  commands  in 
Illinois  lacks  cohesion,  and  there  is  nothing  in  it  to  call 
forth  any  unity  of  feeling.  There  is  absolutely  no  inter- 
course, officially,  between  the  different  Brigades,  and  the 
officers  and  men,  in  their  military  service,  are  as  much 
strangers  to  each  other  as  if  they  belonged  to  different 
States. 

The  most  desirable  form  would  be  a  Division  of  three 
or  four  Brigades,  with  the  immediate,  absolute  command 
vested  in  a  Major  General,  subject,  of  course,  to  the  Con- 
stitutional supreme  authority  of  the  Governor,  as  Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 

A  regular,  fixed  tax,  bringing  a  revenue  sufficiently 


ILLINOIS  NATIONAL    GUARD.  101 

large  for  a  liberal  support  of  the  Militia,  is  preferable  to 
a  Biennial  appropriation,  which  is  always  uncertain  and 
unsatisfactory,  as  there  is  no  surety  of  a  stable,  future 
provision. 

The  support  or  abolition  of  the  State  Military  should 
rest  solely  upon  the  necessity  for  its  use. 

No  questions  of  political  supremacy,  or  the  personal 
ambition  and  aggrandizement  of  individuals,  should  be 
permitted  to  thrust  themselves  forward  in  a  deliberate 
consideration  of  this  subject. 

If  there  is  no  use  for  a  Militia  it  should  be  disbanded, 
as  any  expense,  however  small,  will  be  a  misappropriation 
of  the  public  money. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  necessity  for  this  force  does 
exist,  the  wealth}-  and  prosperous  State  of  Illinois  can 
well  afford  a  liberal  expenditure  for  the  fostering  care 
and  generous  maintenance  of  her  Military  children. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


HISTORY  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  NATIONAL  GUARD  C 


